A Hindu temple in Greenwood, Indiana, was vandalized on August 10 in what authorities and community leaders are calling a “hateful act.” The main signboard of the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple was defaced, marking the fourth such incident targeting a BAPS temple in the United States within the past year.
The Indian Consulate in Chicago condemned the act as “reprehensible” and confirmed it has urged law enforcement to take swift action. The consul general addressed devotees and local leaders, including the Mayor of Greenwood, calling for unity, solidarity, and vigilance against troublemakers.
The temple administration said the desecration had only strengthened the community’s resolve to stand united against anti-religious behaviour. The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha’s Public Affairs division described the incident as a hate crime and reaffirmed its commitment to oppose bigotry.
US Congressman Nick LaLota also denounced the act, stating that religiously motivated crimes must be condemned and perpetrators held accountable.
The attack comes just days before Krishna Janmashtami on August 16. Earlier this year, in March, another BAPS temple in California was vandalized, an act the Indian Foreign Ministry had also condemned as “despicable.” The series of incidents has heightened calls for greater protection of places of worship and stronger action against anti-Hindu hate crimes in the US.