Canadian High Commission Says Vandalism in Gita Park is Hate Crime, Police Say No Evidence

BRAMPTON, (IANS) – Less than a week after the Brampton Municipal Corporation in Canada named a 3.75-acre park the Shri Bhagavad Gita Park an act of vandalism has been reported with the Indian High Commission denouncing it as a ‘hate crime’.

However, the Canadian police said there was no evidence of vandalism to the permanent sign or any park structure.

The High Commission of India in Ottawa on October 2 said, “We condemn the hate crime at the Shri Bhagavad Gita Park in Brampton. We urge Canadian authorities & @PeelPolice to investigate and take prompt action on the perpetrators.”

A sign board for the Shri Bhagavad Gita Park was vandalized by miscreants, it said. 

“We learned that the sign was damaged during the original install & a city staff member brought it back for unplanned maintenance & to reprint,” Mayor of Brampton, Patrick Brown, tweeted. He said the permanent park sign is yet to be installed. He posted his photos of his visit to the Shani Shri Vishwakarma Hindu Temple in Brampton on October 3.

Peel Regional Police tweeted, “The permanent sign is still waiting for the lettering to be applied. There was no evidence of vandalism to the permanent sign or any park structure. It was a temporary park sign used in the park naming ceremony.”

Local Member of Parliament (MP) Sonia Sidhu said, “I know that Peel Police is taking this matter seriously and encourage anyone with knowledge of this crime or any other helpful information to contact the police.”

Another MP Chandra Arya said in a statement that this is the continuation of the hate crime on the Hindu temples in the Greater Toronto Area and is a consequence of increasingly vocal and organized anti-India and anti-Hindu groups in Canada.