Canadian law enforcement has released photographs of two persons outside a historic gurdwara in Vancouver at the time it was desecrated with graffiti in the early hours of Saturday, as it sought the public’s assistance in identifying them to advance their investigation.
The Khalsa Diwan Society’s (KDS) Ross Street Gurdwara was spray-painted with pro-Khalistan and anti-India graffiti in the early hours of Saturday. The gurdwara’s management subsequently issued a statement accusing separatist pro-Khalistan elements of being behind the vandalism.
Vancouver Police Department (VPD) also released images of a vehicle that was at the location at the time of the desecration. All the images are grabs from CCTV footage.
“We believe these people may have information about this crime and what the motivation was,” VPD Sergeant Steve Addison said.
He added, “We ask anyone who recognises the people in these pictures, or the vehicle, to come forward and speak with our investigators.”
VPD launched a criminal investigation into the incident on April 19 and officers from its Major Crime Section, who have been collecting and analysing evidence from the crime scene and surrounding neighbourhood, have obtained images of a white pickup and two people who were in the area at the time.
Investigators believe the truck drove through the area around the time of the offence, between approximately 4 and 4:30 am on April 19. Two people then walked near the front entrance of the gurdwara. One person was wearing a yellow cap, yellow jacket and black pants. The other was wearing a grey hoodie with black pants.
In a statement issued after the desecration, KDS said, “A small group of Sikh separatists, advocating for Khalistan, defaced our sacred walls with divisive slogans like ‘Khalistan Zindabad’.”
It said it “mourns a painful moment in our community’s history as we gather to celebrate Khalsa Sajna Diwas-a day that symbolises the strength, unity, and resilience of Sikhs.”
“This act is part of an ongoing campaign by extremist forces that seek to instil fear and division within the Canadian Sikh community,” the KDS management said in its release.
The gurdwara, established in 1906, had organised the Baisakhi parade or nagar kirtan last weekend and prohibited pro-Khalistan groups from participating in the event.
The Ross Street gurdwara was not the only house of worship targeted on Saturday. The Lakshmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey, also in British Columbia, was also defaced with similar graffiti after the episode in Vancouver.
Temple spokesperson Parshotam Goel said their “assessment” was that these incidents were linked as along with the Ross Street gurdwara, the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir was at the forefront of an effort to forge unity between the Sikh and Hindu community in Canada.
“This is not a coincidence, this was done in a planned way. Somebody is trying to intimidate us,” he said. He said local law enforcement had been informed about the desecration of the temple.
In December last year, a group of representatives from nearly 60 Sikh and Hindu groups, including gurdwaras and mandirs had met at the Ross Street gurdwara and announced the formation of a unity organisation to prevent division between the communities.
Representatives of the gurdwara and the mandir, along with others, met officers from the VPD on Monday. In a statement after the meeting at the Ross Street Gurdwara, KDS’ vice-president Jagdeep Singh Sanghera said, “We are thankful for the support we have received from the VPD in the interest of public safety. We are confident that the VPD will find those responsible for this reprehensible act.”
