Hate crime in Canada: India 'anguished' as Mahatma Gandhi's statue defaced at Hindu temple in Richmond Hill

A big statue of Mahatma Gandhi was vandalised on Wednesday at a Hindu temple in Richmond Hill, Canada, and police say they are looking into whether it was a hate crime. According to York Regional Police, the five-meter-tall monument at Vishnu Mandir near Yonge Street and Garden Avenue was defaced. Around 12:30 p.m., police were called to the location.

Amy Boudreau, a spokesperson for York Regional Police, claimed that someone defaced the statue with "graphic words," such as "rapist," and "Khalistan," which is the term used to refer to the idea of a Khalistan-separatist movement. According to the local police, the crime was "motivated by hate."

Both the Indian High Commission in Ottawa and the Indian Consulate General in Toronto issued messages on Twitter denouncing the vandalism. Both claimed to have spoken with Canadian authorities about the crime.

"We are distressed at the desecration of Mahatma Gandhi's statue at Vishnu temple in Richmond Hill. This criminal, hateful act of vandalism has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Indian community in Canada," said the Consulate General of India in Toronto, Canada, in a tweet.

The Indian High Commission stated in a tweet, "We are deeply anguished by this hate crime that seeks to terrorise the Indian community. It has led to increased concern and insecurity in the Indian community here. We have approached the Canadian government to investigate and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice swiftly. "

Who is Mahatma Gandhi?

One of the greatest political and spiritual figures of the 20th century is widely regarded as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. He is revered throughout India as the father of the nation and is credited with developing and putting into practise the Satyagraha philosophy, which calls for widespread nonviolent civil disobedience as a means of resisting tyranny.

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