Defeat Conspiracies to Divide Indian Origin on Communal Lines in Canada: Akali Dal

(MENAFN– IANS) Chandigarh, Nov 5 (IANS) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) outgoing president Balwinder Singh Bhunder on Tuesday condemned incidents of violence outside religious places in Canada and appealed to people of Indian origin to defeat conspiracies to divide them on the communal lines.

He called the Canadian government to ensure that all places of religious worship are protected from such acts of violence.

“An attempt is being made to divide Sikhs and Hindus in Canada on communal lines. This is against the teachings of our Guru Sahiban who preached the concept of ‘sarbat da bhala’,” said Balwinder Singh Bhunder.

Akali Dal has always stood for communal harmony and has also made numerous sacrifices to uphold this principle. He appealed to the people of both communities in Canada to recognize their common roots, exercise utmost restraint and maintain communal harmony at this critical time.

Bhunder also appealed to the Canadian government to ensure the safety of all people of Indian origin as well as the safety of their places of worship.

“Everyone should have the right of free access to their religious places. It appears that these acts of violence were conceived as part of a larger conspiracy. The Canadian government should expose the conspiracy behind these incidents,” he said.

The SAD president also asked the Canadian government to ensure the safety of Indian diplomats on Canadian soil. He also asked the Indian government to take necessary steps to ensure the safety of Indo-Canadians and try for genuine reconciliation between both communities.

Responding to the incidents, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar expressed concern over the attack on a Hindu temple in Brampton, Canada, calling it “deeply concerning” during a press conference with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong at Parliament House in Canberra. , on Tuesday.

“What happened yesterday at the Hindu temple in Canada was obviously deeply troubling. And, you would have seen the official spokesperson’s statement first and also the Prime Minister’s expression of concern yesterday. So I think that should tell you how deeply we feel about this,” Jaishankar said.