A clip of the Diwali celebration in Brampton, Ontario, has gone viral following reports that groups waving Khalistani flags caused disturbances at the event. They are accused of throwing stones at the attendees and gate-crashing the event.
Police reported the celebration to be a “internal community fight,” and as it descended into chaos, concerns were raised.
Police can be seen in the video filming people and attempting to stop them from throwing stones.
“It is very unfortunate to hear about the attack on Hindus celebrating Diwali in Brampton, Canada,” someone wrote in a comment. It is especially troubling that the incident is being minimised by the Canadian media, which refers to it as a “fight between Sikhs & Hindus.” This attack was obviously motivated by hostility for religion.
In the meantime, India has led suggestions for Canada to strengthen defences against attacks on places of worship and effectively combat hate speech, in a major diplomatic step.