Liberal MP spars with Jagmeet Singh over weekend clash at Hindu temple in Brampton

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh speaks to reporters in the foyer of the House of Commons on Oct. 30, 2024. Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press

A Liberal MP’s claim that pro-Khalistan “extremists” may have infiltrated Canadian politics and law enforcement agencies parrots the lines of an Indian government accused of threatening and killing Canadians, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said Monday.

But backbencher Chandra Arya fired back, accusing Singh of refusing to acknowledge the presence of “violent Khalistani extremism” in Canada and saying he has “zero credibility” on the issue.

Their comments followed a violent clash between Sikh separatists and Hindu worshippers outside a Hindu temple in Brampton on Sunday, which garnering condemnation from Canadian political leaders and a swift rebuke from the Modi government amid simmering tensions between Canada and India over explosive allegations that linked Indian officials in Canada to homicides and threats against Canadians, which New Delhi has denied.

The pro-Khalistan Sikh groups said they were protesting the presence of Indian consular officials at the temple when the violence erupted, leading to three arrests and the suspension of a police officer who attended the demonstration while off-duty.

Arya said the pro-Khalistan protesters had crossed a “red line,” blaming them for the violence that he said “shows how deep and brazen Khalistani violent extremism has become in Canada.”

“I begin to feel that there is a small grain of truth in the reports that in addition to Canadian political apparatus, Khalistanis have effectively infiltrated into our law enforcement agencies,” Arya wrote Sunday on X. “No wonder that under the ‘freedom of expression’ Khalistani extremists are getting a free pass in Canada.”

As Singh also condemned the weekend violence, he accused Arya of escalating tensions with conspiracy theories.

“It is very problematic that an elected Canadian official is parroting the lines of a foreign government that engaged in allegations of serious violence and terror against Canadians, so he should stop,” Singh told reporters Monday.

“What we need to see is an end to the violence, we need to see a firm stance against Indian government, we need to be united in our condemnation of violence happening at a place of prayer.”

Arya fired back in a written statement to the Star, saying Singh “has zero credibility when it comes to speaking on extremism in Canada.” He said the NDP leader “refuses to acknowledge the presence of violent Khalistani extremism in Canada, despite the RCMP’s clear statement during their Thanksgiving Day press conference that the national task force is actively investigating Khalistani violent extremism, among other threats,” referring to an announcement last month that intensified diplomatic tensions between Canada and India.

The Prime Minister’s Office did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.

Earlier in the day, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called on the Trudeau government to “ensure justice and uphold the rule of law” in the wake of what he characterized as the “deliberate attack on a Hindu temple in Canada.”

Police have not commented on how the violence started.

“Equally appalling are the cowardly attempts to intimidate our diplomats,” Modi said. “Such acts of violence will never weaken India’s resolve.

Sikhs for Justice, a diaspora group pushing for the creation of a Sikh state called “Khalistan” in Punjab, India, said the protest was over concerns that Indian officials have attended similar events in the past to find informants and target Sikh separatists.

They claimed the demonstration had been peaceful before the worshippers attacked the protesters, and have accused Indian officials and Arya of encouraging violence against them. Videos posted on social media show protesters fist fighting, attacking one another with flags and throwing what appear to be stones at one another.

In social media posts on Sunday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Doug Ford were quick to condemn the violence at a place of worship.

“The acts of violence at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton today are unacceptable,” Trudeau said in a post on X. “Every Canadian has the right to practice their faith freely and safely.”

Ford said on X that “the violence at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton this afternoon is completely unacceptable and must be condemned. No one should feel unsafe in their place of worship.” Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre posted that the “violence targeting worshippers” was “completely unacceptable.”

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, like Singh, has the security clearance to read an explosive report alleging some MPs are complicit in foreign interference. She told reporters Monday she did not believe pro-Khalistan extremism has infiltrated law enforcement, but said it “remains a stain on all Canadians, that we have permitted extremism to exist.”

“We are strongly in favour of immigration to Canada, of welcoming people from all corners of the world, but it is important that diaspora communities leave their domestic political grievances in their home country, and don’t bring them to Canada,” May said.