India asks Canada to hold perpetrators accountable after Rath Yatra disrupted in Toronto: ‘Such despicable acts…’

India on Monday denounced the disruption of a Rath Yatra in Canada's Toronto over the weekend, saying that the matter had been strongly taken up with Canadian authorities to hold the perpetrators accountable. 

The procession, which was organised by the Indian community and ISKCON Toronto, was pelted with eggs, multiple media reports said. 

External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal called the incident “despicable acts” and perpetrators as “mischievous elements”. 

“We have seen reports regarding disruption created by mischievous elements during the Rath Yatra procession in Toronto. Such despicable acts are regrettable and are against the spirit of the festival, which seeks to promote unity, inclusivity, and social harmony,” Jaiswal said in a statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs on Monday.

“We have strongly taken up the matter with Canadian authorities to hold the perpetrators of the act accountable. We hope the Canadian Government will take necessary action to protect the religious rights of people,” the MEA statement added.

"Deeply disturbed to know about the reports of eggs being hurled at devotees during Ratha Jatra celebrations in Toronto, Canada. Such incidents not only grievously hurt the sentiments of Lord Jagannatha's devotees worldwide, but also cause deep anguish to the people of Odisha, for whom this festival holds profound emotional and cultural significance," Patnaik said in a post on X.

The remarks came in response to posts by Toronto-based Instagram user Sangna Bajaj, who alleged that eggs were thrown at devotees from a nearby building during the celebrations. "People from a building throw eggs at us," she wrote in one post. In another, she stated, “Someone from a nearby building threw eggs at us. Have you ever experienced discrimination for your faith?”

According to a PTI report, the statement came amid resentments among the devotees of Lord Jagannath over the untimely celebration of Lord Jagannath's rituals by the ISKCON abroad and the West Bengal government's declaration of a temple in Digha as "Jagannath Dham".

These are "gross violations" of sacred scriptures and ancient tradition, the Gajapati Maharaja, considered the first servitor of the Lord Jagannath, told PTI in an interview.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated a temple at the seaside town of Digh on April 30 and called it 'Jagannath Dham', much to the chagrin of the Odisha government, the Shankaracharya of the Puri Govardhan Peeth Nischalananda Saraswati and a large number of devotees.