CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Working President Balwinder Singh Bhunder today condemned incidents of violence outside religious places in Canada and appealed to people of Indian origin to defeat the conspiracies to divide them on communal lines even as he called upon the Canadian government to ensure all places of religious worship were secure from such acts of violence.
In a statement here, Mr Balwinder Singh Bhunder said “attempts are afoot to divide Sikhs and Hindus in Canada on communal lines. This is against the teachings of our Guru Sahiban who have preached the concept of ‘sarbat da bhala’.
The SAD also has always stood for communal harmony and has also made numerous sacrifices to uphold this principle. It is a votary of Hindu-Sikh bhaichara and has ensured impeccable peace and communal harmony during its successive terms in government in Punjab”.
He appealed to people from both communities in Canada to recognize their common roots and exercise utmost restraint and maintain communal harmony at this critical juncture”.
Mr Bhunder also appealed to the Canadian government to ensure safety of all persons of Indian origin as well as safety of their places of worship. “Everyone should have the right to free access to their religious places. It appears these acts of violence have been engineered as part of a larger conspiracy. The Canadian Govt should unmask the conspiracy behind these incidents”.
The SAD Working President also urged the Canadian government to ensure the safety of Indian diplomats on Canadian soil. He also urged the Indian government to take necessary steps to ensure the safety of Indo-Canadians and make attempts at genuine reconciliation amongst both communities.