New York: The Consulate General of India in New York on Monday (local time) condemned the vandalisation of the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Melville, New York, and said that it has raised the matter with the US authorities from prompt action against the perpetrators of the "heinous act".
In a post on X, the consulate said, "The vandalism of the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Melville, New York, is unacceptable ; The Consulate @IndiainNewYork is in touch with the community and has raised the matter with US law enforcement authorities for prompt action against the perpetrators of this heinous act."
Condemning the desecration of the temple, the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha said it was "deeply saddened" by the incident and said similar incidents have taken place at various Hindu Temples across North America. "Last night, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Melville, New York, was desecrated with messages of hatred. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident," it said.
"We strongly condemn these acts and pray for peace amongst all communities. Peace, respect, and harmony for all regardless of background or faith are the bedrock of religious freedom in the United States. We also offer our deepest prayers for those who perpetrated this crime to be released of their hatred and to see our common humanity," it further mentioned, adding that it is working with the authorities behind the 'hate crime'.
BAPS community members gathered at the site of the desecration to offer prayers for peace and unity and were supported by local, state and federal leaders representing Long Island. BAPS spiritual leader Mahant Swami Maharaj has offered his prayers for peace and harmony on the occasion.
Meanwhile, the Hindu American Foundation has urged the US Justice Department to investigate the attack on BAPS Hindu Temple in New York. "Hindu temple in Melville, NY shared by OnTheNewsBeat after recent threats to Hindu institutions as a large Indian community gathering is planned in nearby Nassau County this weekend," it said.
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.
US Representative Tom Suozzi, who was one of the leaders at the site to offer prayers for peace and unity, said he was "appalled" by the "hideous acts of vandalism" targeting the temple. "Such acts of vandalism, bigotry, and hate are happening far too often because of inflammatory rhetoric by national leaders, extremism, and lack of accountability. Acts like these are un-American and contradict the core values of our nation," he added on X.
Earlier, a BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Edmonton, Canada was defaced with anti-India graffiti threatening Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian-origin Canadian MP Chandra Arya. Notably, there have been a series of attacks on Hindu temples in Canada, previously attributed to pro-Khalistani groups, that threatened to further strain the frosty relations between India and Canada.
India said these attacks on temples have become a recurring occurrence and added these incidents were done with a purpose which is not difficult to fathom. "We have seen a number of such incidents in recent times in Canada. The lack of action against the perpetrators has further emboldened such criminal elements. Those advocating and responsible for extremism and violence need to be brought to justice or else the rule of law and respect for pluralism in Canada will continue to be severely undermined," said the Ministry of External Affairs.
(with ANI inputs)
