Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condemned a “deliberate attack” on a Hindu temple in Canada and criticised “cowardly attempts to intimidate our diplomats”, in his first comments on a diplomatic face-off with Canada.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his foreign minister condemned the attack on a Hindu temple in Canada this week amid a worsening in diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

The prime ministers of India and Canada condemned violence that broke out on Sunday at a Hindu temple near Toronto at a time of escalating diplomatic tensions between the countries.Videos posted on social media appeared to show people hitting each other with flagpoles and throwing punches in the Toronto suburb of Brampton.