Toronto: Two Canadian Cabinet Ministers pointedly attended a Diwali gathering at the temple in the Greater Toronto Area that sustained a violent invasion by pro-Khalistan radicals two years back.
That protest was against the presence of officials from India’s consulate in Toronto, as the consular camp was being held at the temple that day. Amid security concerns, India’s missions cancelled the camps following the incident. Among those at the protest was a serving officer of the Peel Regional Police (PRP), who was suspended temporarily on those grounds. Multiple persons were charged including the principal organiser in Canada of the so-called Khalistan referendum, Inderjeet Singh Gosal.
The incident occurred on November 3, 2024, when pro-Khalistan radicals who were protesting outside its gate, ran into its grounds and assaulted some devotees.
Anand had earlier organised a Diwali celebration on Parliament Hill in Ottawa along with Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree. In a message on Sunday, Anand said, “Growing up in Nova Scotia, we celebrated Diwali in our home with our nuclear family. One of the joys today is seeing how much that circle has grown in towns and cities across the country.”
