On April 4, 2026, Hindu Groups in Canada wrote an open letter to the Canadian Police after planned protests by Khalistani extremists outside Hindu temples in a planned conspiracy to provoke violence and hatred.
The organisation urged Canadian law enforcement to provide full-day security at temple premises and for devotees, citing what it described as a history of “violent and extremist behaviour” linked to such groups.
The Coalition of Hindus of North America also criticised the planned protests, pointing to past incidents it said involved violence, including an assault on Hindu devotees and temple disruptions in November 2024.
The group said temple visitors have faced “loud and abusive demonstrations” at entrances, along with “violent imagery, glorification of terrorism and verbal harassment.”
The Hindu groups strongly condemn the planned protests called by the group ‘Sikhs for Justice’ outside Triveni Mandir in Brampton, Ontario, and Lakshmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey, British Columbia, on April 5, 2026.
Notably, the call for the rallies was issued by the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), and the two temples targeted are the Triveni Mandir in Brampton, Ontario, in the Greater Toronto Area, and the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey, British Columbia.
In a statement on Saturday, Peel Regional Police (PRP) warned, “Unlawful acts and criminal behaviour will not be tolerated.
It added, “Hate has no place here”. PRP said it supported the “right to a lawful and peaceful assembly” and was working with organisers and partners to ensure the demonstration remains safe for all, with officers present to maintain public order and crowd safety.
These protests represent a deliberate attempt to intimidate and harass Hindu Canadians at their sacred places of worship. Temples are sacred spaces for prayer, peace, and community. Targeting them is unacceptable and must stop immediately.
“Over the past several years, more than 30 Hindu temples across Canada have been subjected to vandalism, hate graffiti, threatening slogans, violent imagery, and direct intimidation. Such acts violate the fundamental rights protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, including the right to practice one’s faith freely and without fear”, the letter reads.
“There have also been instances where such protests have gone beyond peaceful expression and resulted in harassment, disruption, and violence, including at the Hindu Sabha Temple in Brampton on November 3, 2024. Temples are not political battlegrounds. They are places of worship where Canadian families come in peace and dignity”, the letter further reads.
The Hindu groups collectively call upon:
- The Right Honourable Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada, together with the federal government, to ensure the safety and security of all Hindu temples and devotees on April 5, 2026, and beyond.
- The Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, and The Honourable David Eby, Premier of British Columbia, to work with their respective governments and law enforcement agencies to ensure full protection for places of worship and the communities they serve.
- Commissioner Mike Duheme, Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Chief Nishan Duraiappah, Peel Regional Police; and Chief Constable Norm Lipinski, Surrey Police Service to provide visible protection, prevent intimidation or violence, and enforce all applicable laws, including those relating to hate propaganda, mischief targeting religious property, and public order.
- The Honourable Pierre Poilievre, Leader of the Official Opposition, and all parliamentarians, take serious note of the growth of this violent ideology targeting law-abiding Canadian citizens on Canadian soil. Harassment and intimidation of Hindu Canadians must stop. Hindu Canadians are peaceful, law-abiding, and contributing members of Canadian society, with the same rights as every other community to worship freely and without fear.
SFJ’s general counsel Gurpatwant Pannun has said that its planned rallies “are conducted fully within the framework of constitutional freedoms.”
Meanwhile, over 30 Hindu temples and civil groups have called upon police to “ensure safe, intimidation-free premises and streets”, stressing that temples “exist for peace, prayer, reflection, and wellbeing, not for venues for political intimidation or fear.”
Hindu community groups say these past events have heightened worries about security at religious sites, with Sunday’s demonstrations likely to test the balance between freedom of expression and the right to worship without fear.
