British Columbia [Canada], April 21 : Canadian journalist Daniel Bordman has alleged that the Lakshmi Narayan temple in Surrey, British Columbia, was vandalised for the third time on Sunday night, with walls of the building defaced with pro-Khalistan graffiti and reports of security equipment stolen from the site.
Bordman, who visited the site, described what he saw and voiced concern over how the situation was handled.
"I saw when I got there that the vandalism had already been covered up, there were still some broken glasses... there were videos taken in the morning saying Khalistan was behind it. You saw a lot of Khalistan graffiti... I spoke with some of the devotees and management. I don't quite understand why they decided to just remove graffiti before the Police came... they did claim that vandals also stole the security camera... several devotees were quite upset... That wasn't the only temple that was vandalised last night, there was also a Gurdwara in Vancouver which was vandalised by Khalistanis," Bordman said in a video posted on X.
In a follow-up post, Bordman said, "I went to the Lakshmi Mandir in Surrey that was vandalised last night by Khalistanis. This is the third time it has been vandalised. I spoke to management and the devotees and they do not feel like the police or the political establishment cares at all."
He claimed that two individuals posted graffiti on the temple walls and stole a security camera around 3 am. The temple management reportedly removed the graffiti before police could assess the scene, prompting concerns from locals about whether proper procedures were followed.
The incident also drew a strong reaction from Canadian MP Chandra Arya, who urged Hindu and Sikh communities to take urgent action against what he described as rising Khalistani extremism. "The attacks on Hindu temples that began several years ago continue unabated today this latest graffiti on the Hindu temple is yet another chilling reminder of the growing influence of Khalistani extremism," Arya wrote on X.
Arya also referenced vandalism at the Sikh Gurudwara in Vancouver writing, "This Khalistani extremists have targeted Khalsa Diwan Society (Ross Street Gurdwara) in Vancouver with pro-Khalistan graffiti and intimidation tactics."
"It is time for the Hindu-Canadians jointly with the vast majority of our Sikh-Canadian brothers and sisters to rise with urgency and demand immediate, decisive action from authorities at all levels of government. Silence is no longer an option," he added.
Meanwhile, according to Canadian media reports, the Vancouver Police Department is currently investigating the vandalism of the Khalsa Diwan Society (KDS) gurdwara, commonly known as the Ross Street gurdwara.
In a press release released by the Khalsa Diwan Society has condemned the act that took place on April 19 and described it as a deliberate attempt to spread fear and division within the community. It said that a few extremists are undermining the dreams and sacrifices of our elders, who worked tirelessly to build a thriving community in a country that celebrates diversity and freedom.
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