The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in California was on Wednesday desecrated with expletive-laden anti-Hindu messages and references to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the second such incident in the United States in as many weeks.
The BAPS public affairs department said the temple in Sacramento was desecrated with a “Hindus go back!” message.
“We stand united against hate with prayers for peace,” the non-profit Hindu organisation said on X. “Our condemnation of hate remains resolute, our sadness has only deepened and our prayers for all, including those with hate in their heart, have grown stronger.”
Sacramento Police said they were investigating a “vandalism being classified as a hate crime”.
Those who defaced the temple also cut water lines at the property, police said.
“Detectives and CSI (crime scene investigators) are on scene,” they posted on X.
Indian-American Congressman Ami Bera, who represents Sacramento County, said there is “no place for religious bigotry and hatred” in Sacramento.
“I strongly condemn this apparent act of vandalism in our community. All of us must stand against intolerance and ensure that everyone in our community, regardless of faith, feels safe and respected,” he said on X.
Ro Khanna, another Indian-American Congressman, said: “This type of hate against Hindu Americans and vandalism is appalling and morally wrong.
“The Department of Justice must investigate these hate crimes, and those responsible should be held fully accountable under the law.”
Following the incident, Hindu community leaders gathered at the temple for a prayer ceremony calling for “peace and unity”.
On Sept 16, the road and the signage outside the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Melville, New York, were sprayed with expletives.
Melville is located in Suffolk County and is about 30km from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, where Mr Modi addressed a mega Indian community event last Sunday.
The Consulate General of India in New York had condemned the vandalism in Melville, labelling it “unacceptable” and a “heinous act”.
“This is no isolated incident,” read a statement from Stop AAPI Hate on X, a coalition advocating against Asian American and Pacific Islander discrimination.
“When everyday people are unfairly held accountable for the actions of a foreign government, it fuels the fires of racism and religious prejudice. We send our condolences to the Hindu American community and join calls for an investigation into both acts of anti-Asian scapegoating.”
The Hindu American Foundation has written to the Senate Judiciary Committee detailing the “history and alarming rise of anti-Hindu hate, particularly against Hindu places of worship”, citing recent data from both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the state of California.
It also condemned the two incidents, saying: “We stand with @BAPS_PubAffairs and demand justice. It is unacceptable that Hindu temples are being targeted to air hatred against Indian and Hindu American communities.”
Earlier this month, New York Congressman Tom Suozzi condemned hate crimes following the vandalism of the BAPS temple in Melville.
Headquartered in Gujarat, India, BAPS has more than 100 temples and centres in North America. Last year, it opened the Akshardham temple in New Jersey, the largest Hindu temple outside India.
