Suspended Hindu Priest is reinstated; Brampton Sikh leader arrested as communities seek solutions

After the Hindu Sabha Temple reinstated the suspended Priest, Rajinder Parsad, without explaining the decision, tensions between residents defending the Indian government and those behind a movement to promote Sikh independence are still being felt. 

Peel Police, according to sources, lifted the suspension of Sergeant Harinder Sohi, who attended the November 3 protest against the Indian government while off-duty. 

The Hindu Sabha Temple has not yet clarified the reasoning behind the quick decision to reinstate a Priest 48 hours after his suspension for what the temple initially described as his “controversial involvement”. According to some accounts, he allegedly encouraged violence against the Sikh protestors, but officials at his place of worship have not clarified what led to the initial decision, despite telling The Pointer on a few occasions that an explanation would be provided. 

Meanwhile, Inderjeet Singh Gosal, who is the local leader of a global referendum movement to determine if Sikhs would like to have an independent homeland in the northwestern Indian state of Punjab where they make up the majority, was arrested and charged with assault with a weapon by Peel Police on November 8 in connection to the November 3 confrontation. He previously told The Pointer that his group’s protest against the Indian government (consular officials were inside the place of worship at the time for a pension identification session) was entirely peaceful and that individuals from the Hindu temple instigated the clash that turned violent.  

The 35-year-old Brampton resident was released on conditions and appeared at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton at a later date.

Gosal previously told The Pointer that pro-India protesters initiated the violence and said his group was only carrying flags, not weapons.

Asked about the charge laid by police, he said: “I believe the videos show the truth that Khalistani activists were attacked by a pro-Indian group. We did not have weapons. We were protesting with flags,” Gosal wrote in a text message.

He indicated that some on both sides eventually picked up sticks.

“It was from both sides. They also had sticks and flags.”

It is common for police to lay an assault with weapon charge if common objects, like a stick are used to make violent contact with another.

Gosal wrote that he was notified by Peel Police on Friday, November 8, of charges related to the November 3 incident. He indicated he has complied with all police instructions and, as the case is now before the courts, he cannot comment further on the ongoing investigation into last week’s events.

Both sides have called for deescalation, emphasizing that the conflict is political, not religious and should not be carried out by members of the Sikh and Hindu religious communities.

Tensions between pro-Khalistan (the name given to the desired homeland by those Sikhs who support the idea) and pro-India protesters began November 3, after Gosal’s group informed Peel Police and temple officials that they would gather at the Hindu Sabha temple to protest against the Indian government following the release of evidence by the U.S. Justice Department and the RCMP of a deeply disturbing plot by the Hindu-Nationalist government to murder and intimidate Canadian Sikhs. 

The evidence strongly suggests the government which is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, orchestrated the covert scheme and assassinated pro-Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey, B.C. Gurdwara last year.

Protesters supporting the Indian government and waving the Indian flag blocked the road outside the Hindu Temple on Monday, November 4, and multiple videos on "X" showed the pro-India crowd attacking cars, engaging in hate speech, and displaying weapons during their counter-demonstration. The protesters then marched toward nearby Sikh Gurdwaras in Brampton and Mississauga, where they were confronted by Peel Police.

Police released a press release explaining the use of additional force at three different places of worship in Brampton and Mississauga.

Three people were identified and taken into custody by Peel Police on Monday: Amritpal Singh, 31, of Mississauga, for mischief exceeding $5,000; Vikas, 23, of Brampton (who Peel Police told The Pointer is known by only one name); and Dilpreet Singh Bonus, 43, of Mississauga, for causing a disturbance and assaulting a police officer.

For his alleged role, Parsad, the Hindu Priest, was suspended according to a letter signed by the temple's president, Madhusudan Lama, on November 5.

He was reinstated two days later, on November 7.

The Hindu Sabha Temple suspended a Priest but reinstated him 48 hours later.

(Hindu Sabha Temple/Facebook)

"We are deeply disappointed that a Hindu priest who was suspended has been reinstated, 48 hours after his suspension was announced," the Ontario Gurdwara Committee wrote in a release. "This hateful rhetoric and ensuing violence is unacceptable. It resulted in property damage, assaults, and the attempted storming of a local Sikh place of worship. All those involved must be held accountable as Sikhs continue to face threats locally and through Indian foreign interference."

The Hindu Sabha Temple issued a press release: “Hindu Sabha condemns any type of violence at all places of worship” and identified both the temple and Sikh Gurdwaras as places that should be kept safe from such conduct. 

The release also said the Hindu Federation representing Hindu temples and the Ontario Sikh and Gurdwara Council (OSGC) representing Gurdwaras have both condemned the violence that occurred at places of worship.

“This is a positive step to promote peace in our communities,” Lama, President of the Hindu Sabha Temple Committee, said.

“Hindu Sabha believes that no protests or rallies should be held inside and close to places of worship, and Hindu Sabha stands for peace and happiness within our both communities.”

He also described what had been taking place last Sunday inside the temple when the Indian pension certification was being held for all community members.

“About 1,000 pensioners from both the communities were present and about 80% of them were our Sikh Brothers and Sisters. There is no issue of Sikh and Hindu. All of us were happily enjoying that event. Sitting together, eating food together. I request you to please reach out to those 1,000 persons and take their views and you will realize how both communities are happy with each other.”

Gosal previously said the protesters reached the temple on Sunday, the 3rd, at 11 a.m. when an Indian diplomatic visit was planned for the pension certification, with Peel Police permission to protest outside, on the public side of the property.

"We were in constant dialogue with Peel police. They were also on site. They had given us a spot on public property to peacefully protest. We started our protest," he said.

Gosal said the protest against Indian diplomats was driven by the Indian government’s alleged assassination of a Sikh leader on Canadian soil, his colleague Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was murdered on June 18, 2023, while sitting in his pickup truck in the parking lot of a Surrey, B.C. Gurdwara.

"We spoke to the Priest at the temple, and we told them… We are not here to disrespect your place of worship," Gosal said. "We are here because there are Indian government officials that are having an event here, and we're protesting against them because, as you know, the Indian government, there's credible evidence against the Indian government that they had a hand and they organized the assassination of my colleague, Hardeep Singh Nijjar."

Gosal said it is not a religious fight or a battle between Sikhs and Hindus; it is about Sikh activists standing against the Indian government. They assassinated a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil; this is foreign interference and a continuation of India’s transnational repression, he said.

Gosal, who is also a member of the Sikhs for Justice movement, was the subject of an RCMP “duty to warn” notice this summer when he was told to be extra cautious after evidence emerged that the Indian government was plotting to attack and intimidate Sikh leaders in Canada.

On November 6, the Ontario Gurdwara Committee, in collaboration with the Sikhs for Justice organization, held a press conference at the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Malton Gurdwara. Bhagat Singh Brar, Secretary of the Ontario Gurdwara Committee, emphasized that the recent events were not rooted in religious conflict but rather were responses to perceived threats and interference by the Indian government. 

The Pointer asked a spokesperson if the Sikh organizations are working with police by providing evidence. “We have been in touch with Peel Police from day one and are providing all necessary information. As this is an ongoing investigation, we cannot go into details, but we will respect whatever outcome is reached.”

Peel Police last week arrested notorious hate monger Ranendra Lal (Ron) Banerjee, who on November 4 right outside the Hindu temple yelled through a bullhorn, “Come to Canada and storm the f*****g Sikh temples.” He called for the “Indian army” to come to Canada and storm Sikh places of worship.

Banerjee, 57, of Toronto, was arrested and charged on November 6 with public incitement of hatred contrary to Section 319 (1) of the Criminal Code of Canada. He was released with conditions and is to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice at a later date, according to the press release by Peel Police.

Arrest warrants were also issued for 24-year-old Armaan Gahlot of Kitchener and 22-year-old Arpit (no fixed address or last name) on charges of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, conspiracy to commit assault with a weapon, and conspiracy to commit mischief.

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown is planning to introduce a bylaw that would limit demonstrations at places of worship, despite Charter rights that protect expression and assembly.

Anaïs Bussières McNicoll, Director, Fundamental Freedoms Program, at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, explained that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects peaceful assembly and non-violent expression, which means everyone in Canada has the right to gather and express themselves, as long as it's done peacefully. She highlighted that if the proposed bylaw is intended to stop violent protests, there is no need for it since violence is already prohibited under the Criminal Code. Police already have the authority to intervene in violent situations, so a new bylaw wouldn't add anything beyond what the existing law already covers.

Following several protests last week, elected officials in Brampton and Mississauga are considering bans on demonstrations around places of worship.

(Muhammad Hamza/The Pointer Files) 

McNicoll pointed out that the proposed new bylaw could limit people’s right to protest. The key question she raised was whether that limit is fair.

"If the proposed bylaw goes further and aims to prohibit nonviolent protests just because they are near places of worship or maybe also other locations, that's a clear limit on freedom of expression and the right to peacefully protest," she explained.

"The question now would become whether or not that limit is reasonable, and that's tricky, because everybody in Canada should be able to use public civic space to speak up and protest peacefully; picking and choosing locations where peaceful protests are welcomed or not might very well lead to a slippery slope. Having said that, some limitations on protest might be seen by courts as acceptable near places of worship because of the need to balance free speech with freedom of religion, which is obviously another important Charter right."

She also said that it’s premature to fully assess the proposed bylaw, as it is not public yet, and since details are unclear, any restriction on peaceful, lawful protest should be carefully examined to ensure it’s reasonable under the Charter in a free and democratic society.

"It's a bit early for me to comment, because right now, we know of the mayor's plan to propose a motion about the bylaw, but we don't have this motion in this bylaw," she said.

"What I would say, however, is that, of course, as you're saying, if the protesters are not being violent and if the protesters are not committing criminal code offences, for instance, uttering threats, criminal harassment, or incitement to violence, so if they're not engaging in criminal behaviour, any limit on the right to protest needs to be scrutinized very carefully. And the question under the Charter becomes whether or not this limit, because it's clear that there would be a limit, the question becomes whether or not this limit is reasonable in a free and democratic society.”

The Pointer contacted Brown and his communications team to clarify if his proposed motion suggests he believes  last Sunday’s clash at the Hindu Sabha temple was instigated by the Sikhs who gathered there to peacefully protest (video evidence suggests it was the people associated with the temple that attacked the protesters).  

He did not respond.

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