A Gandhi Statue Was Vandalized With Hateful Words In Ontario & Police Are Investigating

A statue of Mahatma Gandhi at a Hindu temple in Richmond Hill was defaced with hateful words earlier this week.

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York Regional Police (YRP) were called to the Hindu temple Vishnu Mandir, located near Yonge Street and Garden Avenue, for reports of vandalism on Wednesday, July 13 at around 12:30 p.m., according to a press release.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found the statue of Gandhi spray-painted with "hateful graffiti."

The vandalism on the Mahatma Gandhi statue.Vishnu Mandir | Facebook

A devotee of the temple told Narcity that "Sikh terrorists have done this" and that they need help from the government.

"Things like the Kashmiri files and Hindu racial profiling need better support. We all hear about every community but Hindu beliefs [and] cultural practices are being swept under the rug," they said.

"A lot of racism is still in Canada. Our temple is one of peace."

The devotee explained that the incident happened on a holy day known as Guru Purnima.

"Guru is a god-like figure and for it to happen on our holy day is worse," they said.

The statue was defaced with the words "rapist" and "Khalistan Zindabad," which can be linked to an extremist and separatist Sikh group.

Canada's High Commission of India commented on the incident on Twitter: "We are deeply anguished by this hate crime that seeks to terrorize the Indian community. It has led to increased concern and insecurity in the Indian community here. We have approached the Canadian government to investigate and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice swiftly."

The Consulate General of India in Toronto also took to Twitter and said that it is "distressed at the desecration" of the statue.

"This criminal, hateful act of vandalism has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Indian community in Canada," the tweet reads.

YRP's District Criminal Investigations Bureau and Hate Crime Unit are investigating the "hate-motivated" incident and are looking for witnesses and suspects of the crime.

"We are committed to ensuring that all citizens feel that they belong and are part of an inclusive, welcoming community," said Chief Jim MacSween. "We will not tolerate hate in any form. Specially trained hate crime investigators are involved and this incident is being investigated thoroughly."

YRP asks that anyone with information call them at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7241, or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or at 1800222tips.com.