Disturbing Incident in British Columbia Raises Concerns Over Rising Hate Crimes

TORONTO: In a disheartening incident highlighting a potential hate crime in British Columbia, Canada, a Sikh high school student, aged 17, was assaulted following an altercation. The episode transpired on Monday at the intersection of Rutland Road South and Robson Road East in Kelowna, where the student was reportedly pepper-sprayed and subjected to physical assault.

According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the assault occurred as the Sikh student disembarked from a public transport bus to head home. Detailed information regarding the incident has not yet been provided by the police. The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) has expressed deep concern, alleging that the student was also assaulted within the vehicle.

Vice-President Guntaas Kaur of WSO British Columbia conveyed, "Monday's attack on a student in Kelowna is unacceptable." Notably, This is the second distressing instance of violence targeting a Sikh youth within a public vehicle in the city this year. In a prior incident in March, Gagandeep Singh, a 21-year-old Sikh student from India, fell victim to an attack by an unidentified group of individuals in the British Columbia province.