Temple visits by Indian Consular postponed amid ‘tensions’ and protests in Mississauga and Caledon: police

Two visits from the Indian Consulate have been pushed back following violent protests last week and calls for more demonstrations at temples in Mississauga and Brampton.

Four people have been arrested and charged after protests turned violent in Brampton last week, spilling into Mississauga as Hindu and Sikh residents clashed.

Activist group Sikhs For Justice said the first rally was against the presence of Indian Consulate officials inside the Brampton temple.

Police now say two planned visits by the consulate scheduled in Mississauga and Brampton this weekend have been pushed back “to allow for tensions to ease.”

“Given the current tensions in the community and a shared interest in maintaining public safety, the organizers agreed that Consular Camps be postponed to a later date to allow for tensions to ease and limit any negative impact on the community,” Peel Regional Police said in a statement to INsauga.com.

Posts on social media by SFJ called for residents to “counter” the visits, which were “camps to issue Life Certificates for pension purposes,” according to the Consulate General of India.

And while one of the temples said it was warned by police of a “threat” due to “violent protests,” a spokesperson for Peel police said there haven’t been “any direct threats against any place of worship in the Region of Peel.”

But police say residents should expect to see more officers around places of worship in Mississauga and Brampton “to reassure the public.”

“Additionally, we have been actively engaging with community leaders, organizations, and local stakeholders to address safety concerns and de-escalate tensions,” police said.

The latest person charged following the protests is a prominent activist and coordinator for SFJ, whose house in Brampton was previously targeted in a shooting.

Peel Regional Police said Inderjeet Gosal, 35, of Brampton, was arrested and charged with assault with a weapon on Nov. 8 following the temple demonstrations and was released on conditions with an upcoming court date in Brampton.

“Rallies by pro-Khalistan Sikhs are against Indian Diplomats whose presence threaten the life and security of Canadians and not against any place of worship,” SFJ said in a post on social media.

Gosal has been an organizer with the Khalistan referendum movement – a nonbinding vote around the world calling for creation of a Sikh state called Khalistan. He took over spearheading the referendum after the murder of Canadian-Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who helped organize a referendum vote in Brampton before he was shot and killed outside a temple in B.C. in 2023.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that the Indian government ordered Nijjar’s murder, a claim which led to strained diplomatic relations between the two countries and one that India denies.