New Delhi: India has severely denounced the demolition of a Hindu temple in Chino Hills, California, by Khalistani radicals, thereby urging local law authorities to take strict action against the offenders.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a Sunday statement, “We condemn such disgusting conduct in the harshest terms. We ask local authorities to guarantee sufficient security for places of worship and bring those accountable to court.
The incident happened at the BAPS Hindu temple, which had extremist messages damaged before a so-called “Khalistani referendum” gathering in Los Angeles. On social media, BAPS Public Affairs responded saying, “The Hindu community stands resolute against bigotry. We will never let hate root itself.
There have been other cases of Hindu temples being targets of Khalistani radicals. The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Sacramento sustained vandalism in September 2023. Similar incidents involving Hindu temples in Brampton, Windsor, Melbourne, and Brisbane destroyed with anti-Indian graffiti have also occurred in Canada and Australia.
Furthermore raising questions about such events are diplomatic security issues. Khalistani radicals recently broke security around External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s departure from Chatham House in London.
India keeps asking world leaders to act decisively against extremist activities endangering religious harmony and security.
