A Hindu temple belonging to the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) was desecrated in Greenwood, Indiana, allegedly by pro-Khalistan separatist elements, according to the Hindu American Foundation (HAF).
The group alleged that the walls of the BAPS temple were defaced with anti-India and anti-Modi graffiti.
In a post on social media platform X, the Foundation condemned the act and called on elected officials to take firm action and said, “It’s time elected officials move beyond empty condemnations and ensure perpetrators are held accountable.”
This marks the fourth such incident of vandalism targeting a Hindu temple in the US within the past year.
“For the 4th time in less than a year, a Hindu Mandir (temple) has been desecrated—this time the @BAPS Mandir in Greenwood, IN Vandalizing temples with anti-India graffiti is a tactic often used by pro-Khalistan separatist activists—and a stark reminder of how slurring American Hindus as “Hindutva” fuels hate like this. It’s time elected officials move beyond empty condemnations and ensure perpetrators are held accountable,” the Foundation captioned on X, while sharing the video of the vandalism.
The HAF said that these attacks often employ the tactic of defacing religious sites with anti-India slogans, which they link to pro-Khalistan separatist activism.
The Foundation also warned that the rising rhetoric against American Hindus, often conflating the community with “Hindutva,” is contributing to such acts of hate.
Similar attacks have occurred across the United States in recent months. In March 2025, a prominent Hindu temple in Southern California was desecrated with anti-Hindu and anti-Indian graffiti.
The incident drew condemnation from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, with spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal urging local authorities to take strict action and ensure the security of places of worship.
The official twitter account of the Consulate General of India in Chicago, USA also condemned the incident and demanded stern action.
“Desecration of main signboard of the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Greenwood, Indiana is reprehensible. The Consulate is in touch with the community and has raised the matter with law enforcement authorities for prompt action. Today Consul General addressed a gathering of devotees and local leadership including Mayor of Greenwood, calling for unity and solidarity, and vigilance against miscreants there,” read the post from India in Chicago.
Last year in September, the BAPS temple in Melville, New York, was spray-painted with anti-India slogans.
That attack was followed just nine days later by vandalism at a temple near Sacramento, and another in December 2023 at the BAPS temple in Newark, California.
The recurring nature of these incidents has prompted growing concern within the Hindu American community, which continues to call for stronger protection of religious sites and swift legal action against the perpetrators.
