Biden's party unit has problem with Yogi's Bulldozer; drips Hinduphobia in local campaign

A Democratic Party unit in the United States town of New Jersey passed a resolution deriding what they described as Hindu 'supremacism' in another instance of growing Hinduphobia. The resolution requires designating several US-based Hindu organizations as “domestic branches” of the “foreign hate groups”. This includes the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA) and SEWA International, a controversial charity, according to an IAMC press release. 

“Hindu nationalist organizations have infiltrated all levels of politics and were highly effective in blocking U.S. House Resolution 417 which was a congressional attempt to warn against the Hindu nationalist movement,” TDMC said, as per the press release. “Now, most local American elected officials remain unaware and unprepared to deal with the Hindu extremists.”

Indian right-wing Hindu nationalist paramilitary org's ideology 'part of Nazism, European fascism': Resolution

The resolution was passed by Teaneck Democratic Municipal Committee (TDMC) this week. The TDMC urged the US Senators from New Jersey, Bob Menendez, and Cory Booker; Governor Phil Murphy; and Congressman Josh Gottheimer to involve the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in order to "step up research on these foreign hate groups that have domestic branches with tax-exempt status.”

Besides the HAF, VHPA, and SEWA International, the resolution mentioned Infinity Foundation and Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation, too, asserting that they had “direct and indirect ties to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), an Indian right-wing Hindu nationalist paramilitary organization whose ideology is part of Nazism and European fascism.”

The unit demanded that Senators Menendez and Booker and Rep. Gottheimer “revise the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015 to address foreign violent extremists with speaking engagements in the US.” It asked state governor Phil Murphy and Congressman Josh Gottheimer, to launch a probe. “A bulldozer which has been weaponized against minorities” in India, the resolution mentioned, adding that it was also a part of the New Jersey parade with “giant pictures” of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as ‘Daddy Bulldozer’.

NAACP also referenced what it described as a "hate parade" organized by the Indian Business Association (IBA) on August 14 in Edison town of New Jersey, that featured a bulldozer.

Democrat unit accused UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath “ for demolishing homes of peaceful protesters." It went on to claim that “condemning hate incidents is insufficient as hate groups are increasingly more organized, cause fear and harm to people, and need to be identified and monitored now for safety and security.”

“Americans need to understand that the RSS’s roots stem from the same place as Italian fascism and German Nazism,” TDMC member Daniel Rosenblum, who voted for the resolution, told IAMC, according to the press document.

The resolution noted that Sambit Patra, whom the Democratic party described as a “controversial” spokesperson of India’s ruling Hindu supremacist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), “served as Grand Marshall” at a parade held in Edison and Woodbridge towns on August 14 to mark the 75th anniversary of India’s freedom. It asserted that he was part of alleged "extremists who routinely spew venomous hate towards minorities [in India] are invited to speak at large events and temples in the US."