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New Indian Express
19 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
MEA writes to Canadian authorities on Rath Yatra egging
BHUBANESWAR: A day after a video went viral showing eggs being thrown at a Rath Yatra procession in Toronto, the Ministry of External Affairs on Monday said the matter has been strongly taken up with the Canadian authorities. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, in a statement, said the ministry has taken note of reports regarding disruption created by mischievous elements during Rath Yatra procession at Toronto. Such despicable acts are regrettable and against the spirit of the festival, which seeks to promote unity, inclusivity and social harmony, he said. 'We have taken up the matter with Canadian authorities to hold the perpetrators of the act accountable. We hope the Canadian government will take necessary action to protect the religious rights of people,' he wrote. ISKCON Toronto had on Saturday and Sunday organised its 53rd annual Rath Yatra from Yonge Street to Centre Island. An Instagram user Sangna Bajaj shared a video on Sunday showing eggs being thrown at the devotees and the chariot from a building during the Rath Yatra procession. Despite this, the procession continued. Earlier in the day, leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik expressed anguish over the incident and urged Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to take the matter seriously and the Ministry of External Affairs to register a strong protest with the Canadian authorities.
Hindustan Times
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Fuelled by rising xenophobia, incidents of Hinduphobia continue to escalate in Canada
Toronto: From a rath yatra in Toronto pelted with eggs and a river ritual attracting attacks to temples being vandalised, incidents of Hinduphobia continue to escalate in Canada, fuelled by rising xenophobia in the country. Ganga aarti being performed on the banks of the Credit river in the Greater Toronto Area on July 4. (Credit: Consulate General of India/X) The rath yatra or chariot fest, an annual event, organised by ISKCON in Toronto, was disrupted as eggs were tossed at the procession by unidentified miscreants on Saturday. That left members of the congregation shocked since the rath yatra is a Toronto staple, with this being its 53rd edition. 'Anti-immigration sentiment is feeding into this,' a committee member of ISKCON Toronto told the Hindustan Times. A police report was filed. In a statement, ISKCON Communications North America said it 'strongly condemns this disrespectful and potentially dangerous act. There is no place for such behaviour in a multicultural and tolerant society like Canada'. 'We are grateful that no serious injuries occurred, and we commend the prompt response of law enforcement. We urge that the individuals responsible be held accountable under applicable laws,' the released issued on Monday added. India also reacted. In a statement, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Monday, 'Such despicable acts are regrettable and are against the spirit of the festival, which seeks to promote unity, inclusivity, and social harmony.' He added that New Delhi had 'strongly taken up the matter with Canadian authorities to hold the perpetrators of the act accountable' and hoped Ottawa 'will take necessary action to protect the religious rights of people'. This incident came just days after as a Ganga Aarti on the banks of the Credit river in the Greater Toronto Area or GTA town of Mississauga came in for xenophobic attacks online. The Aarti was performed on July 4 and when Mississauga city councillor Dipika Damerla posted a video of its online, some of the reaction was racist and critical. In a response, she said the post 'got a lot of love but also a lot of hate and misinformation'. 'Nothing, not even flowers were put into the river' which, along with the site, were 'left pristine' after the ritual was performed, she said. She said the Ganga aarti could be performed at any river to honour them for providing 'life sustenance to all of us'. In April, the Sri Krishna Brundavana Temple in the town of Georgetown in Ontario was vandalised. That followed a spate of incidents of vandalisation of Hindu temples across country between 2023 and 2024. At least 20 temples were targeted during that period and desecrated often with pro-Khalistan and anti-India graffiti spray-painted on their walls and exteriors. These incidents come as anti-immigration sentiment has grown in Canada in recent years following the high numbers of newcomers entering the country due to the policies of the government of former prime minister Justin Trudeau. As the largest and most visible cohort, Indians have been the principle targets of the growing xenophobic trend. 'There is anti-immigration narrative building in Canada and the growth of Hinduphobia is part of that,' immigration professional Naresh Chavda said. He added that the sentiment has been aggravated by the actions against immigrants taken by the administration of President Donald Trump in the United States. In November last year, there was a violent invasion of the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton by pro-Khalistan protesters, resulting in multiple arrests. 'It's unacceptable that in a country priding itself on multiculturalism, Hindu Canadians must constantly defend their right to exist and worship peacefully,' Rishabh Sarswat, president of the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) Canada, said. He called on all levels of government and law enforcement to 'address this growing threat seriously'. The spate of hate targeting Hindus has often been met with silence from the federal government and lack of police action in the form of arrests. In October 2023, an e-petition for the recognition of Hinduphobia in Canada was moved by GTA resident Vijay Jain and attracted over 25,000 signatures. It was presented in the House of Commons by its sponsoring MP Melissa Lantsman. However, there was no action from the government, other than an anodyne response thanking the petitioner 'for expressing their concerns regarding the growing negative stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination of Hindus in Canada'.
Scroll.in
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
‘Regrettable': India on reports of eggs being thrown at Rath Yatra in Canada
India on Monday described as ' regrettable ' reports of eggs allegedly thrown at devotees during a Rath Yatra procession in Canada's Toronto. The Ministry of External Affairs said that the matter had been taken up with Canadian authorities. This came after a woman participating in the procession noticed eggs allegedly being thrown at them from a nearby building and posted about it on social media, The Indian Express reported. The video was widely shared on social media. 'We have seen reports regarding disruption created by mischievous elements during the Rath Yatra procession in Toronto,' ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement. Our response to media queries regarding an incident during the Rath Yatra procession in Toronto, Canada 🔗 — Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) July 14, 2025 Jaiswal said that the 'despicable acts' were regrettable and against the spirit of the festival, which seeks to promote unity, inclusivity and social harmony. 'We have strongly taken up the matter with Canadian authorities to hold the perpetrators of the act accountable,' he added. 'We hope the Canadian government will take necessary action to protect the religious rights of people,' the external affairs ministry said. The alleged incident took place at a procession taken out during the Chariot Fest Ratha Yatra organised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in Toronto between July 11 and July 13, India Today reported. The celebration brings the idols of the Hindu deities Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra 'out from the temple and onto the streets, blessing everyone with their merciful glances', according to ISKON's website. Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday expressed concern about eggs being thrown at the event and said that the incident had caused deep anguish to the residents of the state. 'Such incidents not only grievously hurt the sentiments of Lord Jagannatha's devotees worldwide, but also cause deep anguish to the people of Odisha, for whom this festival holds profound emotional and cultural significance,' the Biju Janata Dal leader said on X. Patnaik urged the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Odisha to take the matter seriously and called on the external affairs ministry to 'register a strong protest with the Canadian authorities' about the incident. During the Rath Yatra in Odisha, the idols of Balabhadra, Subhadra and Jagannath are carried in chariots from the Jagannath temple to the Gundicha temple 2.6 kms away, where they stay for nine days. This year, the festival began on June 27 and concluded on July 5.
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First Post
a day ago
- Politics
- First Post
Egg hurled at Rath Yatra in Toronto; MEA calls it ‘regrettable,' urges Canada to act against perpetrators
India has condemned an incident in Toronto where eggs were thrown at a rath yatra procession, calling it 'regrettable' and urging Canadian authorities to take action against those responsible. read more After a video surfaced online showing eggs being thrown at a rath yatra procession in Canada's Toronto, India's Ministry of External Affairs, in a sharp response, called the incident 'regrettable' and 'against the spirit of the festival' and urged Canadian authorities to take action. 'We have seen reports regarding disruption created by mischievous elements during the Rath Yatra procession in Toronto. Such despicable acts are regrettable and are against the spirit of the festival, which seeks to promote unity, inclusivity, and social harmony,' Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India has 'strongly' raised the issue with Canadian authorities and urged them to take action against those responsible. 'We have strongly taken up the matter with Canadian authorities to hold the perpetrators of the act accountable. We hope the Canadian government will take necessary action to protect the religious rights of people,' he added. The video was shared on Instagram by a user named Sangna Bajaj, who was part of the procession. In the footage, Bajaj is seen singing devotional songs as the procession moves along. As it enters a quieter area, several broken eggs can be seen scattered on the street.
Canada News.Net
a day ago
- Politics
- Canada News.Net
"Despicable act, against spirit of festival": MEA condemns Toronto's Rath Yatra disruption, urges Canada to take action
New Delhi [India], July 14 (ANI): India on Monday strongly condemned the disruption caused during the Rath Yatra procession in Toronto, calling the act despicable and urging the Canadian authorities to take action against those responsible. In response to media queries on the incident, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, 'We have seen reports regarding disruption created by mischievous elements during the Rath Yatra procession in Toronto.' 'Such despicable acts are regrettable and are against the spirit of the festival, which seeks to promote unity, inclusivity, and social harmony,' he added. Jaiswal further noted, 'We have strongly taken up the matter with Canadian authorities to hold the perpetrators of the act accountable.' 'We hope the Canadian Government will take necessary action to protect the religious rights of people,' the spokesperson said. Echoing the concerns raised by the MEA, former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday expressed deep concern over reports of eggs being hurled at devotees during the Ratha Jatra celebrations in Toronto, Canada, calling the incident deeply disturbing and hurtful to the sentiments of devotees of Lord Jagannatha worldwide. 'Deeply disturbed to know about the reports of eggs being hurled at devotees during Ratha Jatra celebrations in Toronto, Canada. Such incidents not only grievously hurt the sentiments of Lord Jagannatha's devotees worldwide, but also cause deep anguish to the people of Odisha, for whom this festival holds profound emotional and cultural significance,' Patnaik said in a post on X. Urging prompt action, he called on the Odisha Government and the Ministry of External Affairs to take up the matter with Canadian authorities. 'If these media reports are accurate, the Odisha Government should take the matter seriously and urge the Ministry of External Affairs to register a strong protest with the Canadian authorities,' he added. The remarks came in response to posts by Toronto-based Instagram user Sangna Bajaj, who alleged that eggs were thrown at devotees from a nearby building during the celebrations. 'People from a building throw eggs at us,' she wrote in one post. In another, she stated, 'Someone from a nearby building threw eggs at us. Have you ever experienced discrimination for your faith?' In a troubling recurrence of targeted attacks on Hindu places of worship across Canada, the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Edmonton fell victim once more to vandalism. The recent attack adds to a string of similar incidents documented in recent years, underscoring a distressing trend of religious intolerance. Last year, a Hindu temple in Windsor suffered defacement with anti-India graffiti, sparking widespread condemnation and calls for action from both Canadian and Indian officials. Earlier incidents in Mississauga and Brampton saw temples similarly targeted, drawing strong reactions from the Indian community in Canada. Canadian law enforcement agencies have been urged to take proactive measures to address these threats and ensure the safety and security of all religious communities in Canada. The incidents have prompted renewed discussions on bolstering security measures around Hindu temples and enhancing efforts to combat extremist propaganda. Meanwhile, several global reports have highlighted the growing concerns over Khalistani sympathisers operating within Canada, with incidents often linked to calls for an independent Khalistan state in India's Punjab region. (ANI)
