Canada violence bid to defame Sikh community, says Akal Takht

The Akal Takht has termed the recent Canada violence as a conspiracy to defame Sikhs and vitiate peace, maintaining that the community members could never attack the shrine of any other faith.

The remarks came in the context of violence between Sikh and Hindu activists at a gurdwara in Malton, which appeared to be a fallout of an earlier attack by pro-Khalistani activists on devotees at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton.

Condemning the violence, Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh said it appeared to be a well-thought plan to defame the Sikh community.

“No attack was made by Sikh community members at the Hindu temple. Sikhs, who have established overseas by working hard and contributing to the economy and prosperity of other nations, were being defamed. The governments and their agencies should desist from such ploys that vitiate the peace and tranquility,” he said.

Takht Sri Damdama Sahib Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh claimed a “small altercation outside the Hindu temple was wrongly projected on social media platforms as an “attack by a group of miscreants, which was part of a conspiracy”. He claimed that an anti-Sikh campaign was being run for long.

“Whatever happened in Canada is highly condemnable. Yet, the Sikhs can never think of attacking the temples of any faith. It has never happened. Even during the November 1984 anti-Sikh riots when the Golden Temple, Akal Takht and 35 other gurdwaras were attacked, not a single incident of attacking of any Hindu temple surfaced. The Canada violence is a pre-planned conspiracy,” he said, adding reports of vehicles being damaged outside Malton gurdwara had emerged, which was equally condemnable.

Meanwhile, the Dal Khalsa appealed to “Hindu brothers not to fall into a misleading and twisted information being spread by leaders and the media". Dal Khalsa leader Kanwar Pal Singh said it was a ploy to pit Hindus against Sikhs, especially in Canada and India, to further polarise society.