Gurdwara in Canada's Vancouver desecrated with pro-Khalistan graffiti: ‘Attempt to instill fear in Sikhs’

The Khalsa Diwan Society Gurdwara in Canada's Vancouver was desecrated with pro-Khalistan graffiti on Saturday. Its management has blamed “extremist forces” for the vandalism and claimed that it was an attempt to “instill fear within the Canadian Sikh community”

The historic gurdwara, better known as the Ross Street gurdwara, was spray-painted with pro-Khalistan and anti-India graffiti.

In a statement after the desecration, the Gurdwara management said, “A small group of Sikh separatists, advocating for Khalistan, defaced our sacred walls with divisive slogans like ‘Khalistan Zindabad’.”

“This act is part of an ongoing campaign by extremist forces that seek to instill fear and division within the Canadian Sikh community,” they added.

Gurdwara management's Joginder Sunner told Hindustan Times that the incident occurred between midnight and 3 am on Saturday, describing it as a “painful moment” in the community's history.

“A group of unidentified men arrived in a truck and then spray-painted the slogans on the gates and outer walls of the gurdwara,” he said.

In the statement, the gurdwara management also said that the extremists are “undermining the dreams and sacrifices of our elders, who worked tirelessly to create a strong, thriving community in a country that celebrates diversity and freedom”.

“Their actions seek to divide us, contrary to the unity and peace we hold dear as Canadians. We cannot, and will not let these forces of division succeed,” it added.

The gurdwara, established in 1906, had organised the Baisakhi parade or ‘nagar kirtan’ – Khalsa Sajna Diwas “a day that symbolizes the strength, unity, and resilience of Sikhs” last weekend. They prohibited pro-Khalistan groups from participating in the event, which likely led to vandalism.

Vancouver Police says probe is on

The Vancouver Police Department said it is investigating the incident.

Sargent Steve Addison, spokesperson for the VPD, said police are investigating the graffiti at the Ross Street Temple, which included the word “murdabad”.

He said police do not have a suspect, but more information may be released later.

Hindu temple in Surrey also defaced

The Lakshmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey, also in British Columbia, was also defaced with similar graffiti after the episode in Vancouver.

Temple spokesperson Parshotam Goel said their “assessment” was that these incidents were linked with the Ross Street gurdwara, as the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir was at the forefront of an effort to forge unity between the Sikh and Hindu communities in Canada.

“This is not a coincidence; this was done in a planned way. Somebody is trying to intimidate us,” he said.