The United States didn’t like what happened to a Hindu temple in California, and they made that clear on Saturday. They thanked the police for making sure the people responsible would face the consequences.
The Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu Temple Newark, California, got messed up with anti-India graffiti, and it wasn’t okay. The police think it might be a hate crime, so they’re checking it out.
The US State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs posted on social media X, saying, “We’re not happy about the vandalism at Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu Temple Newark, California. Thumbs up to Newark Police Department for making sure the responsible folks are held accountable.”
On Friday at around 8:35 am, the City of Newark Police Department got a report about the graffiti at the temple. After they did their thing, the temple leaders said the vandalism looked like an attempt to scare them. The police think it was on purpose, and they’re looking into it as a possible hate crime.
In an email to PTI, the Consulate General of India in San Francisco strongly condemned the temple’s defacement. They said, “We really don’t like that SMVS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Newark, California, got messed up with anti-India graffiti. It hurt the feelings of the Indian community. We’re asking the US authorities to quickly investigate and take action against the vandals,” declared the Consulate.
Social media pictures showed that the word ‘Khalistan’ was spray-painted on a sign post outside the temple, along with other not-so-nice graffiti.
