Canadian authorities deny vandalism at Shri Bhagavad Gita Park in Brampton city
Toronto (PTI): Canadian authorities have denied any vandalism at a recently unveiled park named 'Shri Bhagavad Gita' in Brampton city and clarified that the reported blank sign was left during the repair work, hours after India condemned the incident and urged the city administration to take prompt action.
The park previously called Troyers Park was renamed Shri Bhagavad Gita Park and unveiled on September 28.
We condemn the hate crime at the Shri Bhagavad Gita Park in Brampton. We urge Canadian authorities & @PeelPolice to investigate and take prompt action on the perpetrators, the High Commission of India in Canada tweeted on Sunday.
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown on Sunday night took to Twitter to clarify the matter. Brampton is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario.
"Following yesterday's reports of vandalism of the recently unveiled Shri Bhagavad Gita Park, we took swift action to investigate further. We learned that the reported blank sign was installed by the builder as a placeholder until the permanent Shri Bhagavad Gita Park sign can be replaced tomorrow, Brown tweeted.
Brown also thanked the Indian community for flagging the issue and added: We are pleased to learn of this outcome. We thank the community for bringing this to our attention, and ensuring Brampton is a safe and inclusive place to call home. "The blank sign was left up during repairs. This is not a usual process as we never remove a sign unless damaged or its name changes, he said in another tweet.
Peel Regional Police also said: "There was no evidence of vandalism to the permanent sign or any park structure." "Permanent sign is still waiting for the lettering to be applied and it was a temporary park sign used in the park naming ceremony," Peel Police tweeted.
Last month, India issued an advisory to its citizens in Canada citing a sharp increase in incidents of hate crime, sectarian violence, and anti-India activities.
The advisory said: In view of the increasing incidences of crimes as described above, Indian nationals and students from India in Canada and those proceeding to Canada for travel/ education are advised to exercise due caution and remain vigilant.
On September 15, a promient Hindu temple, BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, was defaced by Canadian Khalistani extremists with anti-India graffiti in an apparent hate crime.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
