The minister said that extremist forces working against India should not be given space in foreign countries.
Photo: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar
Union External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Saturday took a serious note of the Hindu temple vandalism in the US and said that anti-India forces should not be given space in foreign lands. He informed the media the an inquiry into the incident is underway.
“I have seen it. Extremists, separatists and such forces (against India) should not be given space in foreign lands. Our Consulate there complained to the government and the police and an inquiry is underway,” the minister said.
His response came after Indian Consulate in San Francisco raised the issue with the US government officials and local police.
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The vandalism incident took place on Thursday when a devotee noticed that outer walls of SMVS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir at Newark, California was defaced with anti-India and pro-Khalistani graffiti.
The images shared on social media showed Khalistan terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale’s name written on the walls of the temple with black ink.
Hateful slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi were also written on the exterior walls of the temple, according to the pictures shared by the Hindu American Foundation.
“The mention of the Khalistan terrorist kingpin #Bhindranwale, who targeted Hindus for murder, is specifically meant to traumatize temple goers and create a fear of violence—meeting the CA definition of a hate crime,” the Hindu American Foundation wrote on ‘X’.
The Indian Consulate office took cognizance of the matter and said that the incident has hurt sentiments of the Indian community.
“We have pressed for quick investigation and prompt action against the vandals by the US authorities in this matter,” the consulate office said in a social media post.
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