A group of miscreants ‘defaced’ a Hindu temple in Australia’s Melbourne with ‘racist graffiti’, sparking outrage within the local community and leaders, according to media reports.
The incident, which took place earlier this week on Monday, July 21 raised alarm as it targeted a spiritual hub to hurt the sentiments of the community.
The Shree Swaminarayan Temple on Wadhurst Drive was targeted by vandals who sprayed red paint and wrote a ‘racist slur’ on the wall of the temple infrastructure.
According to a media report, the same message was also seen on two nearby Asian‑run restaurants recently.
A spokesperson from the Victoria Police told The Australia Today, ‘Police are investigating following reports of graffiti in Bayswater and Boronia on 21 July.’
Reacting to the incident, President of the Hindu Council of Australia, Victoria chapter, Makrand Bhagwat expressed shock and said, ‘Our temple is meant to be a sanctuary of peace, devotion and unity.’
Bhagwat said the Shree Swaminarayan Temple hosts daily prayers, community meals and cultural festivals, drawing congregants from across Melbourne’s Indian diaspora.
‘It’s where we come together to celebrate our faith and heritage,’ he added.
Leaders from the Hindu community urged interfaith groups to show love.
‘We want to show that love and solidarity triumph over hate,’ a local was quoted as saying.
Victoria’s Premier Jacinta Allan also condemned the incident and said that the defacing of the Hindu temple was ‘hateful, racist and deeply disturbing.’
‘It wasn’t just vandalism, it was a deliberate act of hate, designed to intimidate, isolate, and spread fear,’ she said.
In a letter, Allan said that the Shree Swaminarayan Temple is so much more than a place of worship.
‘It’s a place of warmth and community. It’s a space where people are welcomed with open arms. Where faith is practised, traditions are honoured, and the values of kindness and compassion are lived every single day. That’s what you’ve built in Boronia, and it means a great deal. To your neighbours, to our state, and to me personally. Communities like yours are part of what makes Victoria strong,’ Allan said.
‘What happened this week was hateful, racist and deeply disturbing. It wasn’t just vandalism, it was a deliberate act of hate, designed to intimidate, isolate, and spread fear. It was an attack on your right to feel safe and to belong, and on the values that bind us together. There’s no place for it anywhere in Victoria. And it must be called out for what it is,’ the Premier added.
Earlier on Wednesday, an Indian student in Australia’s Adelaide was hospitalised after being targeted by an assailant, in what the authorities are investigating as a possible racially driven attack.
The attack took place in a public area in Adelaide where the Indian student, currently enrolled at a local university.
The incident was caught on video and widely shared on social media, showing the victim being attacked amid bystanders.
The incident sparked deep concern among the Indian community and international student groups, raising questions about the safety of overseas students in the country.
Police responded promptly and arrested a suspect linked to the incident.
Authorities are treating the case as a potential hate crime and have appealed to the public for any additional information to aid the investigation.