A Hindu temple in Ohio was allegedly vandalised using bricks, two US-based advocacy groups claimed on Saturday. The Shree Swaminarayan Vadtal Dham Hindu Mandir in Richmond Heights, Ohio, suffered damage due to the shattering of windows, the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) and the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) said.
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What the US advocacy groups said
The CoHNA, in a post on X, claimed that in the alleged attack, windows were shattered when priests and some devotees were inside the temple.
“This comes as Hindus in Ohio begin celebrating Hindu Heritage Month and honor the Divine Feminine through Navratri in less than 10 days,” the post read.
The CoHNA urged Richmond Heights mayor Kim Thomas, along with municipal authorities, to publicly condemn the incident and sought prompt action from law enforcement agencies.
"We call upon Mayor Kim Thomas and @RichmondHtsOH to condemn such bigotry and @PoliceRichmond to take swift action against the perpetrator," the CoHNA also said.
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{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, according to a post by the HAF on X, the alleged attack took place at 1:30 pm.
"At 1:30 PM today, the Shree Swaminarayan Vadtal Dham Hindu Mandir in Richmond Heights, Ohio was attacked by perpetrator(s) who threw bricks at the temple causing significant damage," the post read.
It added that the surveillance video is available and being reviewed by authorities.
The HAF said the possible hate crime comes at a time of unprecedented hate and vitriol directed at the Hindu American community.
“This possible hate crime comes at a time of unprecedented hate & vitriol directed at the Hindu American community, and we ask that law enforcement make apprehending the perpetrator(s) a top priority,” it said.
"We also call on our nation's elected leaders & government agencies to publicly and unequivocally condemn hateful rhetoric against Indian and Hindu American communities," the HAF said.
Suhag Shukla, Executive Director, Hindu American Foundation (HAF) said in a post on X, "This is real now."
"Online hate has morphed into a real-world attack on a Hindu temple. Review the video & catch the perpetrator," Shukla added.