On Monday, there were vandals at the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Melville, New York. Strong criticism of the act was voiced by the Indian consulate in New York, which called it “unacceptable.”
The incident took place in Melville, Suffolk County, around 28 kilometers from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address a large community event at this venue on September 22.
In response, the consulate has been in close contact with the local Indian-American community and has urged US law enforcement agencies to take swift action against those responsible for the attack.
The incident is currently being looked into by the authorities, and steps are being taken to bring the offenders accountable.The Indian Consulate took the incident to X to express its dismay. The Consulate posted, “The vandalism of the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Melville, New York, is unacceptable; The Consulate @Indiain NewYork 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.”
Online video footage shows derogatory graffiti sprayed on the road and on the temple’s signage. A prayer meeting is scheduled at the temple later in the afternoon to respond to the incident.
Ahead of the upcoming community gathering in Nassau County, the Hindu American Foundation urged the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security to look into the temple attack, particularly in light of recent threats to Hindu and Indian institutions. Executive Director of the Hindu American Foundation, Suhag Shukla, said, “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.”
