IT is a shame that some irresponsible residents of Brampton actually encouraged hate even while complaining of an alleged hate crime without first checking out the facts about the Shri Bhagavad Gita Park’s sign being reportedly vandalized.

Even Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, who is seeking re-election, rushed to condemn the alleged incident — only to land up with egg on his face.

Brown, Councillors and members of the community had last week unveiled the renaming of the city’s Troyers Park to Shri Bhagavad Gita Park. The 3.7 acre park was approved on August 26 by Brampton City Council.

Brown said at the event: “I believe in the teachings of the Gita. We are very grateful to the Hindu community and this park is a symbol of that friendship.”

The Indian High Commission tweeted on Sunday: “We condemn the hate crime at the Shri Bhagvad Gita Park in Brampton. We urge Canadian authorities and Peel Police to investigate and take prompt action on the perpetrators.”

The mayor had earlier tweeted: “We have zero tolerance for this.”

He also said that the matter had been flagged to Peel Regional Police for further investigation and that the Parks department was working to correct the sign as soon as possible.

On Sunday, Brown tweeted: “From City of Brampton Community Services and Communications Department on the confusion over resident complaints about Gita Park sign: “We learned that the sign was damaged during the original install & a city staff member brought it back for unplanned maintenance & to reprint.””
Brown also included a tweet from Peel Regional Police that the “permanent sign is still waiting for the lettering to be applied. There was no evidence of vandalism to the permanent sign or any park structure. It was a temporary park sign used in the park naming ceremony.”

Then on Monday, Brown tweeted: “The new park sign is now installed.”

The allegation has caused a great deal of resentment as it unnecessarily led to communal tension that could have been avoided if Brown had first tried to verify the facts in a responsible manner before rushing to condemn something that never took place.