ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Brampton mayor slammed over Hindu image in media article
The HCF also claimed that Brown has a “long history of controversial positioning on community issues.”
-
Rwittika Chakraborty
- Sat, 14, Feb 2026
- 02:56 EST
- 12
Hindu Canadian Foundation (HCF) logo (left) and Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown (right) / Facebook/@Hindu Canadian Foundation and X/@patrickbrownont
The Hindu Canadian Foundation (HCF) has criticized Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown and the National Post for “irresponsible framing and direct targeting of Hindu Canadians” after a Hindu religious image was used in an opinion piece about Canada’s growing extortion crisis.
Brown wrote an op-ed, titled “Parliament must pass Bill C-2 now to address Canada’s extortion epidemic,” in which he noted what he described as a surge in violent extortion cases across Peel Region between January 2024 and November 2025.
Today, extortions are a serious problem in the Lower Mainland of B.C., Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and the GTA. But if we don’t act now — by adopting stronger tools like the lawful access provisions in Bill C-2 and fully supporting local extortion task forces with CBSA and…
— Patrick Brown (@patrickbrownont) February 12, 2026
The opinion piece was initially published with an image portraying a Hindu religious figure.
ALSO READ: Extortions rock Canada's Indian community
The HCF condemned this act, calling it “unacceptable,” while stating that the image “has zero relevance to the topic” and is in “no connection whatsoever to Hindu communities.”
The nonprofit organization, dedicated to promoting and preserving Hindu culture, heritage and values in Canada, further questioned why a nonexistent association was made, claiming that “this kind of imagery is not accidental.”
“It reinforces harmful stereotypes and fuels suspicion toward a peaceful, law-abiding community. Hindu Canadians deserve better than to be used as visual scapegoats for issues we have nothing to do with,” read HCF’s post on X.
It is unacceptable that @patrickbrownont chose to use a Hindu image in an article about Canada’s extortion crisis , an image that has zero relevance to the topic. This is not journalism or opinion piece this is irresponsible framing and direct targeting of Hindu Canadians.
— Hindu Canadian Foundation (HCF) (@officialHinduCF) February 13, 2026
The… https://t.co/YetY2mUARp pic.twitter.com/9k4uTFYJby
The HCF also claimed that Brown has a “long history of controversial positioning on community issues” and demanded accountability from the mayor and the National Post.
The cover image, deemed controversial, in Brown’s opinion piece for the National Post, has now been changed to a picture of the mayor holding a press conference in 2025.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
Related
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login