Days after alleged Khalistani supporters vandalised three Hindu temples in Australia they clashed with pro-India demonstrators in Victoria there on Sunday during the so-called ‘Punjab independence referendum.’ 

Two persons were injured in two separate brawls and two persons were detained, the local police said on Monday. Indian High Commissioner to Australia Manpreet Vohra called on Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews on Monday and discussed strong and growing bilateral relationship between India and Australia, violence in Melbourne on Sunday, and how to stop extremist Khalistani groups from engaging in further activities prejudicial to peace and harmony. India has already asked Australian government to curb the anti-India activities of Khalistani separatists and also attacks on the Hindu temples in the country.

"Signals that pro-Khalistan elements are stepping up their activities in Australia, actively aided and abetted by members of proscribed terrorist organisations such as Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and other inimical agencies from outside Australia, have been evident for some time," the Indian High Commission in Canberra said in a strongly-worded statement on January 26.

Two men were treated for minor injuries by paramedics on scene as police at Federation Square broke up two brawls between crowds during voting for referendum on Sunday. The Victoria Police in a statement said it responded to two incidents throughout day, one at 12.45 pm and another at 4.30 pm (local time).   The police responded quickly to "separate and disperse the crowd" by using pepper spray in the second incident "to separate fighting men".

"As a result of each incident a 34-year-old man and a 39-year-old man were arrested, and each issued with a penalty notice for riotous behaviour," it said. 

According to The Age newspaper, the fracas occurred at 4.30 pm after a group of pro-India supporters waving national flags arrived at the voting site. Sikhs for Justice, the US-based group spearheading non-binding referendum, is a banned organisation in India.

Tensions have risen within Australia's large and growing Indian diaspora since campaign among local secessionists intensified recently, and a spate of graffiti attacks on Hindu temples in Melbourne over the past fortnight have been reported.

The Hindu Council of Australia condemned graffiti found on three Hindu temples across the city, including the ISKCON Hare Krishna Temple in Albert Park, which serves as the hub for Melbourne's Bhakti Yoga Movement. Temple management discovered last Monday that the front wall had graffiti saying “Hindustan Murdabad”, which can be translated as “Death to India”; and “Khalistan Zindabad”, or “Long live the Sikh homeland”.

“This cowardly act is unacceptable in the strong multicultural Australia where every religion is respected, and communities live in peace and harmony,” the council said in a statement. Indian High Commissioner Vohra on Monday in a tweet said he discussed with authorities at the sacred BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Melbourne - a place of spirituality and service - the peaceful community's concerns over the recent attack by vandals, and the disturbing violence witnessed in Melbourne. Vohra also visited the iconic ISKCON Krishna Temple in Albert Park which was vandalised recently by pro-Khalistani elements."Their hate-filled graffiti was threatening to the peaceful Indian-Australian community in Melbourne and must be stopped," he tweeted. In its statement on Thursday last week, the Indian High Commission said in addition, India's concerns about the so-called referendum in Melbourne and Sydney, announced by the proscribed organisation, the Sikhs for Justice, have been conveyed to the Australian Government.         "It has been highlighted to the Australian Government to ensure the safety and security of members of the Indian community and their properties in Australia, and to not allow the use of Australian territory for activities detrimental to the territorial integrity, security and national interest of India," the statement said. The 2021 census found there were about 210,000 Sikhs in Australia - up from 130,000 in 2016 - with almost half this cohort living in Victoria. The number of Hindus in Australia grew from 440,300 in 2016 to 684,000 in 2021.