Hindu BAPS Temple In Indiana USA Vandalised With Anti-India Grafitti, Khalistani Involvement Suspected

Indiana, USA: The Hindu American Foundation took to their X (formerly Twitter) account to share visuals of a vandalised Hindu temple in Greenwood. The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir was targeted on the night of August 10, allegedly by Khalistanis. In what is being described as a ‘hate crime’, the walls of the temple were sprayed with graffiti, which fuelled anti-India sentiments. This marks the fourth such incident in less than a year.

In their post confirming the incident, the Hindu American Foundation wrote, “For the 4th time in less than a year, a Hindu Mandir (temple) has been desecrated”. The post further read, “Vandalising temples with anti-India graffiti is a tactic often used by pro-Khalistan separatist activists—and a stark reminder of how slurring American Hindus as ‘Hindutva’ fuels hate like this.”

The foundation urged the elected officials to take affirmative action against the miscreants and hold perpetrators accountable. The volunteers working at the temple have dubbed the incident “hate and intolerance against Hindus.” The vandalism comes days before Krishna Janamasthami on August 16. 

This is not the first time an incident like this has occurred in the USA. In March earlier this year, another BAPS temple in Chino Hills, California, was targeted. Following a similar pattern, the perpetrators vandalised the walls of the temple with anti-India slogans. Khalistani involvement was alleged in the California attack as well. The incident took place days before the scheduled "Khalistani referendum" in Los Angeles.