The police in Ontario are looking for two men who allegedly vandalised the Sri Krishna Brundavana Temple in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
Halton Hills Today, a Canadian outlet, quoted officials describing the incident as an act of mischief.
"Police are attempting to identify two males who damaged a sign belonging to the Sri Krishna Brundavana Temple in Georgetown. Anyone who may be able to identify the suspects is asked to contact police," read an X post by Halton Police as they released the photos of the accused.
On Thursday, Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) said it was investigating “vandalism to a Hindu temple in Georgetown”, which took place around midnight on Sunday.
According to the police, security footage showed the two suspects – both white young men in hooded sweatshirts – leaving a pub in the area before walking to the temple, where they were seen ripping down and damaging a sign at the entrance.
Halton Hills Today quoted an official saying that the incident was a hate crime against Hindus and linked it to past attacks on Hindu places of worship in Canada.
The incident has invoked sharp criticism from the Hindu Canadian Foundation (HCF). “The growing influence of radical ideologies has led to hateful actions targeting Hindu Canadians and their sacred spaces. Such actions threaten the harmony of our diverse communities," it said in a post on X.
In the recent past, Canada has witnessed an alarming spike in anti-Hindu and Hinduphobic incidents, including attacks on Hindu temples and immigrants.
In November 2023, a pro-Khalistan protest outside the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton escalated into an invasion, with congregants being attacked inside the premises.
In July, the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Edmonton was reportedly vandalised with anti-India graffiti, targeting PM Narendra Modi and Canadian MP Arya. This was the fourth incident since September 2022 in which a BAPS temple was targeted in Canada.
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