Brampton temple attack: Politicians dividing Hindus and Sikhs in Canada, says Indian-origin MP Arya
Chandra Arya, Member of Parliament of Canada, in a statement condemned the clashes between protesters bearing Khalistani flags and people at the Hindu Sabha Temple in Brampton that took place on November 3 and criticized politicians for misrepresenting the incident as a Hindu-Sikh issue. Arya argued this framing is “misleading and divisive”.
In a statement shared on X, Arya wrote: “On behalf of Hindu-Canadians and the vast majority of Sikh-Canadians, I again strongly condemn the attack by Khalistani extremists on Hindu devotees at the Hindu Sabha temple in Brampton. Politicians are deliberately avoiding recognizing and mentioning Khalistanis as responsible for this attack or are shifting the blame to other entities. They are misleading Canadians by framing this as an issue between Hindus and Sikhs. This is not true.”
He said that throughout history, Hindus and Sikhs have been connected through family relationships and shared social and cultural ties and urged both communities to prove politicians wrong. Hindus and Sikhs have been united throughout history, are united today, and will continue to be united in the future. We, as Hindus and Sikhs, will not and should not allow vested interests to divide us for their political gain,” added the post.
The Canadian MP said that politicians are portraying Hindus and Sikhs as opposing sides regarding the attack on the Hindu temple. “This picture is simply not true. The two sides are actually Hindu-Canadians and the vast majority of Sikh-Canadians on one side, and Khalistanis on the other,” he said.
Arya's post also highlighted the influence Khalistani supporters wield over certain Canadian gurdwaras, quoting Sikh community leader and former British Columbia Premier Ujjal Dosanjh.
According to Arya, Dosanjh noted that a “silent majority of Sikhs do not want to have anything to do with Khalistan and that they just don't speak out because they're afraid of violence and violent repercussions. Dosanjh also mentioned that many Gurudwaras in Canada are controlled by Khalistani supporters.”
Arya further said that he understands that fear may prevent the silent majority of Sikhs from speaking out in gurdwaras, but urged them to use the power of voting over which politicians get elected.
“Due to the deliberate actions of some politicians and the influence of Khalistanis, Canadians now mistakenly equate Khalistanis with Sikhs. Hindus and Sikhs alike must educate Canadians that we stand united in our fight against Khalistani extremists and their political backers,” added the post.
