Hindu temple in US becomes target of 'hate crime' with anti-India slogans

A temple in California's Newark city, about 100 km from Washington DC, was defaced with anti-India graffiti, pictures shared on social media by the Hindu American Foundation showed. The walls of Swaminarayan Mandir Vasana Sanstha were purportedly defaced with pro-Khalistani slogans, a denounced separatist cause being propagated from North America, especially from Canada and the United States.

Images shared on social media showed hateful slogans against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the temple wall.

According to the temple administration, the incident took place on Thursday night.

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"One of the devotees, who lives close to the shrine, discovered anti-Hindu and anti-India graffiti in black ink on an exterior wall of the building, and the local administration was immediately informed," Bhargav Raval, the spokesperson for the temple administration, told New Delhi-based news agencyANI.

The Hindu American foundationsaid that the incident should be investigated as a hate crime.

"We are insisting that this should be investigated as a hate crime," they said.

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Both the Newark Police Department and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division were informed about the same, the foundation added.

Similar anti-India defacements have occurred in the United States as well as in Canada in the recent past.

Indian consulate in San Francisco reacts

Indian consulate in San Francisco issued strong condemnation of the incident in a statement.

"We strongly condemn the defacing of SMVS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir at Newark, California with anti-India graffiti. This incident has hurt the sentiments of the Indian community. We have pressed for quick investigation and prompt action against the vandals by the US authorities in this matter," Indian consulate in San Francisco said.

Why is it a hate crime?

The graffiti on the walls of Newark temple glorifiesslain Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, visuals on social media showed.

"The mention of the Khalistan terrorist kingpin Bhindranwale, who targeted Hindus for murder, is specifically meant to traumatize temple goers and create a fear of violence—meeting the CA definition of a hate crime," American Hindu Foundation wrote on X.

(With inputs from agencies)