Eggs Hurled at Indian Devotees During Rath Yatra in Toronto, Odisha Ex-CM Naveen Patnaik Urges MEA to Act

Eggs were hurled at Indian devotees during Rath Yatra celebrations in Toronto, Canada, sparking widespread outrage on social media.

A video shared by Sangna Bajaj on her Instagram account showed broken eggs scattered on the road. Bajaj alleged that the eggs were thrown at devotees from a nearby building during the celebrations. "People from a building threw eggs at us," she wrote in one post. In another post, she asked, "Have you ever experienced discrimination for your faith?"

Bajaj stated that despite the shocking incident, the Rath Yatra procession continued undeterred. “We were stunned. Hurt. But we didn’t stop. Because hate can never overpower faith,” said the Toronto-based non-resident Indian (NRI).

The video has since been made private.

Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik called the incident deeply disturbing and hurtful to the sentiments of Lord Jagannatha’s devotees worldwide.

"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 across the globe, 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.

Urging prompt action, he called on the Odisha Government and the Ministry of External Affairs to raise the issue with Canadian authorities.

"If these media reports are accurate, the Odisha Government should take the matter seriously and urge the Ministry of External Affairs to register a strong protest with the Canadian authorities," he added.

This attack adds to a growing number of similar incidents in recent years, highlighting an alarming trend of religious intolerance.

In the recent past, there have been multiple reports of attacks on Hindu places of worship across Canada. Last year, a Hindu temple in Windsor was defaced with anti-India graffiti, prompting widespread condemnation and demands for action from both Canadian and Indian officials.

The incident comes at a delicate time, as India and Canada have recently pledged to renew ties following Prime Minister Modi's visit to Alberta for the G7 summit. Bilateral relations had hit a low point in 2023 when Canadian authorities linked Indian agents to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. In response, both countries expelled each other's diplomats, bringing diplomatic engagement to a standstill.

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