Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said on Friday that there have been several instances of Hindu temples being defaced with anti-India graffiti in the US. “…such cases are being investigated as hate crimes,” the minister told the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Friday.
Kirti Vardhan Singh all incidents of attack and desecration of temples and places of worship in the US are immediately taken up with the US government through diplomatic channels.
“The respective temple management authorities and the community associations have also registered complaints with the local law enforcement authorities and have called for proper investigations, and stringent action against those responsible for these acts, and for providing the places of worship with adequate safety and security arrangements,” Kirti Vardhan Singh said.
The minister’s reply stated, “The law enforcement authorities have conveyed that such cases are being investigated as hate crimes. Members of the US Congress have also urged the concerned agencies to come up with a broader strategy to counter hate crimes targeting Hindus in the United States.”
Hate crime not limited to US
Incidents of defacement of Hindu temples have also been reported in Canada and Bangladesh.
India earlier expressed deep concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in Bangladesh, particularly regarding the safety of minorities.
Between August 2024 and February 2025, over 2,374 incidents were reported, but the police verified only 1,254 of them, with 98 per cent deemed “political in nature”.
In November 2024, an Indian consular camp at the Hindu Sabha Temple in Canada’s Brampton witnessed a “violent disruption” on Sunday in Brampton, near Toronto. The incident sparked widespread criticism in and outside Canada.
India has repeatedly expressed its deep concern about extremism and the culture of violence and anti-India activities in Canada and has asked Canadian authorities to take action against these activities.
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