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India reacts 'strongly' to BAPS temple vandalism in US' California
The Consulate General of India in San Francisco has condemned the vandalism of a Hindu temple in the area and taken up the matter with local authorities
India on Friday "strongly" condemned the vandalism of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan temple in Sacramento in US' California on September 24. The Consulate General of India in San Francisco said it has taken up the matter with local authorities to take immediate action against those responsible.
Also Read: ‘Hindus go back’: Sacramento's BAPS mandir vandalised with anti-Hindu messages after New York's desecration
In a statement on X, the CGI said “The Consulate General of India, San Francisco strongly deplores the act of vandalism which took place on September 24th night at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Sacramento, California. @cgisfo has taken up the matter with local authorities to take immediate action against those responsible.”
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On September 24, the BAPS temple was desecrated with the slogan “Hindus go back!” according to a post on their X account, where they called out the anti-Hindu hate. This incident comes days after their temple in Melville, New York was also similarly vandalised.
According to ABC10, authorities are investigating the vandalism, which also featured expletives about prime minister Narendra Modi and Indian external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar.
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The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office said that the vandals had spray-painted graffiti on the building and damaged the water pipes. The sheriff's office is currently searching for a suspect, reported CBS.
On September 17 days before prime minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US, the BAPS temple in Melville, New York was covered with offensive graffiti, and in July, a BAPS temple in Edmonton, Canada was vandalised as well.
In a post on X, the Sacramento county sheriff stated that the vandalism is officially being investigated as a hate crime.
“Detectives from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Gang Suppression Unit, which investigates hate crimes in Sacramento County, responded to the scene and began their investigation. Allied State and Federal law enforcement agencies were also notified of the incident and will assist with the investigation,” they said in their post.
