The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Chino Hills, the largest Hindu temple in California, was allegedly vandalised on Saturday allegedly by Khalistan supporters, prompting the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) to demand an FBI investigation into the incident.
HAF took to X to condemn and seek FBI investigation of this act, stating:
“Video of the attack was shared by bot accounts similar to previous attacks.”
The temple, one of the most prominent Hindu places of worship in Southern California, was defaced with anti-India graffiti, marking another troubling case of hate crime targeting the Hindu community in the United States.
The Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Public Affairs strongly condemned the attack, calling it an attempt to incite division and hatred.
BAPS Public Affairs stated in a post on X:
“In the face of another Mandir desecration, this time in Chino Hills, CA, the Hindu community stands steadfast against hate.”
The attack comes just days before a scheduled bogus ‘Khalistan referendum’ event in Los Angeles, heightening concerns about rising extremism in the US.
Hindu organisations across the US have expressed outrage, demanding swift action from law enforcement agencies.
The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) also denounced the vandalism, drawing attention to the repeated targeting of Hindu temples.
“It’s just another day in a world where media and academics will insist there is no anti-Hindu hate and that #Hinduphobia is just a construct of our imagination. Not surprising this happens as the day for a so-called ‘Khalistan referendum’ in LA draws close,” CoHNA wrote on X, urging authorities to take action.
CoHNA highlighted a disturbing pattern of temple vandalism in the US, pointing to similar attacks in 2022 and 2023, including the desecration of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Sacramento last September.
- Aug 3 & Aug 16 2022: Shri Tulsi Mandir in Queens, New York
- Oct 30, 2023: Hari Om Radha Krishna Mandir in Sacramento
- Dec 23, 2023: SMVS Shri Swaminarayan Temple in Newark, California
- Jan 1, 2024: Shiv Durga Temple in Santa Clara, California
- Jan 5, 2024: Shree Ashta Lakshmi Temple in Fremont, California
- Jan 5, 2024: Vijay’s Sherawali Temple in Hayward, California
- Jan 11, 2024: Sri Panchamukha Hanuman Temple in Dublin, California
- Sept. 17, 2024: BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Melville, New York
- Sept. 25, 2024: BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Sacramento, California
- March 8, 2025: BAPS Temple Chino Hills CA
The advocacy group has renewed calls for a thorough investigation into these incidents to curb the growing trend of religiously motivated attacks on Hindu places of worship.
Eyewitnesses reported that the temple was defaced with hateful slogans such as ‘Hindus go back,’ leaving the local Hindu community alarmed.
The Chino Hills Police Department has yet to release an official statement on the matter.
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