NEW YORK (TIP): American lawmakers and community leaders Tuesday, September 17, condemned vandalism of a Hindu temple in New York and called for bringing the guilty to the book. BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha condemned the desecration of the temple in Melville, New York on Sunday, September 15 night.
According to footage shared online, expletives have been sprayed on the road and the signage outside the temple. The temple held a prayer meeting on Monday noon following the incident.
The Indian Consulate in New York has condemned the vandalism of the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple, saying it has raised the matter with the US law enforcement authorities for prompt action against perpetrators of the “heinous act”.
“The vandalism of the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Melville, New York, is unacceptable,” the Indian Consulate said on Monday, September 16, in a post on X.
It added that the Consulate “is in touch with the community and has raised the matter with the US law enforcement authorities for prompt action against the perpetrators of this heinous act”.
The Hindu American Foundation said on Monday in a post on X that the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security “must investigate” the attack on the temple “after recent threats to Hindu institutions as a large Indian community gathering is planned in nearby Nassau County this weekend”.
“It is hard to comprehend the absolute cowardice of those who would attack a Hindu temple to air hatred for an elected leader. This attack, following recent threats at Hindu and Indian institutions, must be seen in the context of that threat scenario,” executive director of the Hindu American Foundation Suhag Shukla said in a post on X.
It also mentioned that Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun had recently shared a video threatening Hindu and Indian institutions. It said that the vandalism incident in New York is similar to attacks on temples that happened in California and Canada.
“Gurpatwant Pannun, of “Sikhs for Justice,” recently posted a video threatening Hindu and Indian institutions, including HAF, as the community event approaches. The vandalism is similar to that seen in attacks on temples in New York, California and Canada & called out by @CongressmanRaja @RoKhanna @ShriThanedar @PramilaJayapal @BeraForCongress @shuvmajumdar and other political leaders,” Hindu American Foundation posted on X.
Hindu PACT also demanded an FBI investigation into the incident. Gujarati Samaj of New York condemned the vandalism at BAPS temple. Earlier in July, the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir was vandalized in Canada’s Edmonton.
Canadian MP Chandra Arya voiced deep concern over the escalating incidents of hate-fueled violence directed at Hindu-Canadian communities.
In a post on X, Chandra Arya said, “The Hindu temple BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Edmonton is vandalized again. During the last few years, Hindu temples in the Greater Toronto Area, British Columbia, and other places in Canada are being vandalized with hateful graffiti.”
The recent bias attack against the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple on Long Island is not only unacceptable, but unfortunately is part of a growing pattern of angry violence against people and groups some might disagree with. This recent trend only serves to divide us, and works against our common values of family, prosperity and religious freedom,” said Harpreet Singh Toor, a political leader of the Indian American community.
This act of vandalism is part of a long-standing pattern of anti-Indian bias,“ said Toor. “Our government must act strongly and quickly to prevent further attacks targeting our religious institutions,” said Toor.
“As a Sikh I believe it is a sacred duty to honor and protect all people. As a South-Asian elected official in the State Assembly I will work closely with other elected officials, and with law enforcement, to guarantee the safety and the freedom of all people, and to bring to justice those responsible for vandalizing this Temple,” said Toor.
“I strongly condemn this act of desecration of a Hindu temple in Melville, NY. Freedom of worship is a bedrock of our democracy. There is no place for acts of intimidation, harassment or violence.
We need accountability and to make sure this does not happen again,” Indian American Congressman Ro Khanna said. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi termed the act despicable, even as he called for unity among Americans.
“I am appalled by the despicable acts of vandalism targeting the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Melville. As our country faces a surge in political violence and acts of bigotry, we must stand together as Americans against all forms of hate,” he said.
Congressman Shri Thanedar said, “Such acts of vandalism, bigotry, and hate must be fully investigated. The BAPS community deserves answers and justice.” Prof. Indrajit S Saluja, President of Journalists Beyond Borders condemned the despicable vandalism of the sacred Swaminarayan Temple and appealed to the administration to bring the culprits to book.