Washington: American lawmakers and community leaders Tuesday condemned vandalism of a Hindu temple in New York and called for bringing the guilty to the book.
“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.
The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Melville, New York was defaced with hateful messages on Sunday night.
The temple also condemned the act, releasing a statement that read, “Peace, respect, and harmony for all, regardless of background or faith, are the bedrock of religious freedom in the United States,” it said in a statement.
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi called the vandalism “despicable” and urged Americans to stand united against hate. “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 stated.
Congressman Shri Thanedar echoed the sentiment, calling for a thorough investigation. “Such acts of vandalism, bigotry, and hate must be fully investigated. The BAPS community deserves answers and justice,” he said.
The Hindu American Foundation and Hindu PACT also called for investigations by the Department of Justice and the FBI to address the incident.
Earlier, the Consulate General of India in New York had condemned the vandalism of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir and urged US law enforcement agencies to take immediate action against those responsible. The temple was vandalised on Monday with hateful messages spray-painted on the driveway and its sign.
Suffolk County Police reported that the vandalism took place at 2 Deshon Drive between 7 p.m. on Sunday and 6:30 a.m. on Monday. The perpetrator defaced the temple with threatening and derogatory anti-Hindu messages.
In July, a similar act of vandalism occurred at the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Edmonton, Canada, which Canadian MP Chandra Arya condemned.
