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On Friday (9/23), the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an advisory to its citizens in Canada.

“In view of the increasing incidents of crime, Indian citizens and Indian students in Canada as well as those coming to Canada for travel or study are advised to exercise caution and remain vigilant,” said the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The statement also said that the Indian government has asked Canadian authorities to investigate hate crimes committed and take strong action against extremist groups targeting Indian citizens.

Additionally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also reminded its citizens to report to the Indian High Commission in Ottawa or the Indian Consulate General in Toronto and Vancouver in case of emergency.

Last week, the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir temple in Toronto was vandalized with anti-Indian graffiti, allegedly by a Khalistan extremist group. This group is a Sikh separatist movement that seeks to form a separate state from the Punjab region of India.

To date, the perpetrator of this crime has still not been tried in Canada. Several members of the Canadian Indian Parliament and the Indian High Commission have urged the Canadian government to immediately take this crime seriously.

Canada is one of the preferred destinations for Indian students to pursue their university studies. About 1.6 million people, including workers from India, are currently in Canada, one of the largest concentrations of Indian diaspora in the world. Indians represent more than 3 percent of Canada's population. For this reason, the Indian government strives to continue to protect the security of its citizens there.