 "Temple visit, tough questions: Canada PM Carney reaches out to Hindus ahead of polls")
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who is campaigning aggressively ahead of April 28 federal elections, showed up at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto on Saturday (April 5) to mark the festival of Ram Navami.
At the temple, Indo-Canadian Cabinet Minister Anita Anand received the PM, who later wrote on X, “So pleased to welcome @markjcarney on his first visit to @bapstoronto to celebrate the birth of Lord Rama. A very Happy Ram Navami!” With her, Liberal Party MPs from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) were also present at the temple.
Significance of Hindu voters in Canada elections
According to media reports, there are about 600,000 Hindu Canadians eligible to vote in the upcoming elections. They form significant voting blocs in regions like the GTA or Metro Vancouver and even cities like Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta.
Their support can be critical for political parties in a case of tough competition.
Tensions persist
Despite recent efforts by PM Carney to placate Hindus, tensions with the ruling Liberal party have persisted.
For instance, the party’s soft stance on Khalistani extremism has stoked fears among Hindus.
Criticism also mounted when the Liberal party revoked the candidacy of Indo-Canadian MP Chandra Arya last month based on unspecified “new information”.
Arya has often taken a stand against Khalistani elements in Canada and elsewhere. For his anti-Khalistan views, Arya has been targeted by Khalistani groups in the past. In October, US-based Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun urged Trudeau to go after Arya.
In a post on X, Pannun said that Canada should investigate Arya for “spewing venom” against the Khalistan movement and being a mouthpiece of India.
Interestingly, there have been attacks against Hindu temples in the country.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsJust last week, the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) launched searches for two men suspected of vandalising the Sri Krishna Brundavana Temple in the Greater Toronto Area. A CCTV footage showed the two men walking to the temple and tearing down and damaging a sign at the entrance.
In September 2023, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a pro-Khalistan organisation banned in India, asked Hindus to leave Canada and go to India.
“Indo-Hindu leave Canada; go to India. You not only support India but you are also supporting the suppression of speech and expression of pro-Khalistan Sikhs,” said Gurpatwant Pannun in a video message.
Reacting to Carney’s visit to the Hindu temple, the Hindu Canadian Foundation said in a statement, “The past few years have posed significant challenges for the Hindu community, which numbers over a million.”
“The recent surge in anti-Hindu sentiment, fuelled by rising separatist groups, has deeply affected every Hindu Canadian. Addressing these pressing issues will be a critical focus for the upcoming Government,” the statement added.
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