Vandalism at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Chino Hills, California, has been harshly denounced by India, which called it a “despicable act.” In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) strongly denounced the incident and urged local law enforcement agencies to take tough measures against those involved.
In order to stop similar attacks in the future, the MEA further encouraged authorities to guarantee sufficient security for houses of worship.
Concerns over possible linkages to extremist operations were raised by the vandalism, which happened only days before a scheduled “Khalistan referendum” in Los Angeles.
Another instance in a string of similar attacks on Hindu temples in the US was the desecration of the BAPS temple with anti-Indian graffiti. Both the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in New York and Sacramento, California, suffered vandalism last year.
In response to the incident, the BAPS Public Affairs team said that the Hindu community is unwavering in its opposition to hate and will not allow such crimes to flourish. They underlined how crucial faith and our shared humanity are to bringing about peace and compassion.
The vandalism was also denounced by the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), which emphasised the need for increased awareness and action against anti-Hindu bigotry.
