3 arrested after protests at Hindu temple in Surrey, B.C.: police
3 others arrested in similar protests in Ontario
Three people were arrested in Surrey, B.C., on Sunday after "a conflict ensued" outside a Hindu temple, according to RCMP.
Officers were at the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir temple, where Indian consular officials were present, to maintain public safety, police said.
"Hundreds of protesters with opposing views arrived and began demonstrating," according to police, adding that "violence broke out between groups."
Video captured by CBC News at the scene showed multiple police officers attempting to handcuff a man who was lying down on the ground. Officers then carried him to a police car.
All three people arrested have since been released while investigators with Surrey RCMP's general investigation unit complete their investigation, police said.
During the demonstrations, people could be seen holding flags in support of Khalistan, a proposed independent Sikh homeland in northern India.
Across the road, other people could be seen holding India's national flag.
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke called Sunday's events "deeply concerning," adding that she was "disappointed and upset."
"This is not who we are in Surrey. I am speaking with all parties involved and I call for the Surrey community to remain calm. I have also reached out to Premier [David] Eby," she said in a statement Monday.
In a statement, Eby said that he was deeply concerned by reports of confrontations at the Surrey temple.
"We will work with other levels of government and law enforcement to maintain peace and harmony in our communities," he said.
In a Facebook post, the Vedic Hindu Cultural Society — which runs the temple — says it condemned the attack on the temple by "extremist elements" on Sunday.
"For the safety of the Canadian society, we demand an immediate inquiry into the incident," the post reads. "We also call for the suspension, investigation, and prosecution of the police officers involved in unjustified violence against temple devotees."
Parshotam Goel, who is council chair at the temple, said that some pro-Khalistan protesters on Sunday had used "filthy language" and law enforcement didn't do enough to rein them in.
Goel said that he had no issue if the protesters had a political mindset to oppose the Indian government — but that the temple did not take the Sunday protest lightly.
"We have no objection. They [protesters] can propagate the way they want it, but civility has to be maintained, and they have crossed those limits," he told CBC News.
Goel said that temple officials felt disappointed that police officers had prevented some temple attendees from going in and had grabbed one of the devotees — something he said would need a thorough investigation.
Temple officials are set to meet with RCMP Monday evening, according to Goel, who said the temple may look to push for a "buffer zone" to be put in place around the temple if they hold future consular events.
The Ross Street gurdwara in Vancouver applied for an injunction after a similar event last weekend, which set up a 60-metre buffer zone around the Sikh temple and prevented protesters from attempting to intimidate attendees.
Sgt. Tammy Lobb, a spokesperson for the Surrey RCMP, did not directly address Goel's charges that police were too heavy-handed at the protest.
"I can't speak to that exactly, but decisions are made as incidents are very fluid when they're ongoing at protests and demonstrations, so that would have been to prevent any violence," she told CBC News.
At a peaceful rally on Monday night outside the temple, Vinay Sharma, the secretary of the temple, said some Hindus were not feeling safe in Canada.
"This divisive politics is not going to be tolerated anymore. Again, I urge all the Hindus and Sikhs of Lower Mainland, of Canada, let's get united ... and we need to keep on working for the harmony and the peace of Canada," he told CBC News.
Charges in Ontario
The arrests follow three separate detainments in Ontario related to similar protests that have been widely condemned by political leaders at all levels of government.
Peel Regional Police say three men have been charged after violence erupted between groups of protesters at a series of demonstrations involving pro-Khalistani supporters in Brampton and Mississauga on Sunday, including outside a Hindu temple and a Sikh gurdwara.
Videos circulating on social media appear to show fist fights and people striking each other with poles on what appears to be the grounds of the Hindu Sabha Mandir temple in Brampton.
CBC News has verified the authenticity of two videos that captured the violence.
The group Sikhs for Justice says that Khalistan supporters had been protesting Indian consular officials undertaking an announced visit to provide administrative services such as helping seniors access pensions.
The group is asking that they be barred from undertaking work outside of their diplomatic premises, arguing external site visits "directly endanger the safety and security of pro-Khalistan citizens in Canada."
India's PM responds
The violence in Ontario prompted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to issue a rare comment at a time of escalating diplomatic tensions between his country and Canada.
In a statement on his social media channels, Modi condemned the "deliberate attack" at the Hindu temple and said he expects Canadian authorities to uphold rule of law. He added that any attempts to intimidate Indian diplomats in Canada were "equally appalling."
I strongly condemn the deliberate attack on a Hindu temple in Canada. Equally appalling are the cowardly attempts to intimidate our diplomats. Such acts of violence will never weaken India’s resolve. We expect the Canadian government to ensure justice and uphold the rule of law.
—@narendramodiWith files from Meera Bains