India raises vandalism of New York’s Swaminarayan Temple with US: Unacceptable

India on Monday strongly condemned the vandalism of the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple located in New York’s Melville and called for swift action, saying that such acts are ‘unacceptable’.
In a statement, the Indian Consulate in New York said that it was in contact with the local community and has also raised the issue with US law enforcement authorities to ensure prompt action against those responsible for this “heinous act”.
“The vandalism of the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Melville, New York, is unacceptable; The Consulate @IndiainNewYork is in touch with the community and has raised the matter with U.S. law enforcement authorities for prompt action against the perpetrators of this heinous act, the Indian mission posted on X.
Meanwhile, a Hindu-American organisation also condemned the attack and sought a probe from the US government.
“The @TheJusticeDept & @DHSgov must investigate this attack on the @BAPS Hindu temple in Melville, NY shared by @OnTheNewsBeat after recent threats to Hindu institutions as a large Indian community gathering is planned in nearby Nassau County this weekend,” the group posted on X.
Notably, Melville, a town in Suffolk County on Long Island, lies approximately 28 kilometers from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address a mega community event on September 22.
Many videos shared on social media showed expletives being defaced on the road and on signage outside the temple. Despite the incident, the temple plans to proceed with its scheduled prayer meeting later this afternoon.
Reacting to the incident, executive director of the Hindu American Foundation Suhag Shukla said that the attack must be seen in the context of that threat scenario.
“It is hard to comprehend the absolute cowardice of those who would attack a Hindu temple to air hatred for an elected leader. This attack, following recent threats at Hindu and Indian institutions, must be seen in the context of that threat scenario,” Shukla wrote on X.