A prominent Hindu temple in Brampton in Canada has been targeted with anti-India graffiti, causing outrage among the Indian community.
Condemning the act of vandalism at Gauri Shankar Mandir, the Indian Consulate General in Toronto said the defacing of the temple has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Indian community in Canada.
"The hateful act of vandalism has deeply hurt sentiments of the Indian community in Canada. We have raised our concerns on the matter with Canadian authorities," the consulate office said in a statement on Tuesday.
The temple, which is a symbol of Indian heritage, has been left vandalised with hate-filled messages directed towards India.
The Canadian authorities are currently investigating the incident.
The defacing of the Hindu temple in Brampton is not an isolated incident, with at least three similar acts of vandalism recorded in Canada since last July.
Last September, the Indian Foreign Ministry has issued a strongly worded statement, saying there has been a "sharp increase" in hate crimes against Indians and other "anti-India activities" in Canada. New Delhi had urged the Canadian government to properly investigate the incidents.
Statistics Canada, the country's national statistical office, has reported a 72 percent increase in hate crimes targeting religion, sexual orientation and race in Canada between 2019 and 2021.
This has led to increased fears among minority communities, particularly the Indian community, which is the fastest-growing demographic group in Canada, accounting for almost four percent of the population.
Indian officials have repeatedly raised the issue of attacks on the Indian community by pro-Khalistani elements in Canada.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Japan PM Announces Resignation, Who Will Replace Him?
Canada-India Ties "Very Important": Team Trudeau MP Meets S Jaishankar This Man Completed A 9-Day Journey From Canada To Mexico Using Only Public Transport Air Canada Flight Cancelled After Crew Member's Meltdown Over Passenger's Blanket Request Nurse Raped, Killed On Way Home, Body Found 9 Days Later In UP "Don't Expect Anything From Me": Kolkata Hospital's New Principal Loses Cool This US City Has Been Declared America's Least Desirable, Survey Finds Ukraine, Russia Both Claim Advances In Kursk Region Gaza Ceasefire Talks Underway In Qatar As Deaths Top 40,000 Trump To Hold Press Conference, His Campaign Adds Senior Advisers Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.