Hindu temple wall defaced with anti-India graffiti in US | India News
NEW DELHI: A Hindu temple was vandalised with anti-India and pro-Khalistan graffiti in Newark, California.
The exterior walls of the Swaminarayan temple in Newark, California, was defaced with ‘anti-Hindu and anti-India’ graffiti, the temple administaration said.
While the police said that the incident came to light on Friday, temple authorities claim that the incident occured on Thursday night.
“One of the devotees, who lives close to the shrine, discovered anti-Hindu and anti-India graffiti in black ink on an exterior wall of the building, and the local administration was immediately informed,” Bhargav Raval, the spokesperson for the temple administration, told ANI.
The temple authorities were ‘shocked’ by the incident, the spokesperson added.
Calling it a ‘targeted incident’, Jonathan Arguello, a police captain for the city of Newark said that the incident was being investigated.
“Based on the graffiti, we believe it was a targeted act, and it’s going to be investigated with full thoroughness,” Arguello told Reuters.
“We’re handling this investigation as a hate crime at this point, based on our conversations with you and the physical evidence we’ve seen,” he added.
The incident comes after the US justice department filed an indictment against an Indian national for his alleged role in a failed conspiracy to assassinate India-designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on US soil.
The exterior walls of the Swaminarayan temple in Newark, California, was defaced with ‘anti-Hindu and anti-India’ graffiti, the temple administaration said.
While the police said that the incident came to light on Friday, temple authorities claim that the incident occured on Thursday night.
“One of the devotees, who lives close to the shrine, discovered anti-Hindu and anti-India graffiti in black ink on an exterior wall of the building, and the local administration was immediately informed,” Bhargav Raval, the spokesperson for the temple administration, told ANI.
The temple authorities were ‘shocked’ by the incident, the spokesperson added.
Calling it a ‘targeted incident’, Jonathan Arguello, a police captain for the city of Newark said that the incident was being investigated.
“Based on the graffiti, we believe it was a targeted act, and it’s going to be investigated with full thoroughness,” Arguello told Reuters.
“We’re handling this investigation as a hate crime at this point, based on our conversations with you and the physical evidence we’ve seen,” he added.
The incident comes after the US justice department filed an indictment against an Indian national for his alleged role in a failed conspiracy to assassinate India-designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on US soil.
