Hindu temple defaced with pro-Khalistani slogans in US
NEW DELHI,DEC 23 : A Hindu temple was defaced with pro-Khalistani slogans in California, US. The incident happened in Newark city.
The pictures were shared on X by the Hindu American Foundation, showing slogans scribbled on the walls of the Swaminarayan Mandir Vasana Sanstha.
Images showed hateful slogans against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the wall of the temple.
The foundation insisted that the incident should be investigated as a hate crime and said the Newark Police Department and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division were informed about it.
The Indian Consulate in San Francisco condemned the defacing of the Swaminarayan Mandir Vasana Sanstha and said it has pressed the US authorities for a quick probe and prompt action against the miscreants.
“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,” the Indian Consulate in San Francisco wrote on X.
This was not the first time a Hindu temple was defaced in the US. Such incidents have occurred earlier in the country as well as in neighbouring Canada.
Of late, a temple in Canada’s Surrey city was vandalised by extremists in the middle of the night.
Posters related to a public gathering were pasted on the main door of the temple, highlighting the death of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
-PTI
