Khalistani goons vandalise Hindu temple in Melbourne, evoke wide condemnation

Chandigarh: Khalistanis vandalised the iconic Shiva Vishnu temple in Australia’s Carrum Downs in Melbourne cosmopolitan city area on Tuesday, sending shockwaves among the Hindu emigrants from India.

The horrifying incident comes just within a week of anti-India and anti-Hindu graffiti smeared on the walls of BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Mill Park.

A spokesman of the Victorian police said that an investigation had been launched into the acts of vandalising Hindu places of worship. Meanwhile, the Victorian Gurdwara Sri Guru Nanak Darbar and the Victorian Council of Churches, the Buddhist Council, and the Council of Jewish Community have condemned the vandalism.

The vandalism was noticed in the morning when devotees came for ‘darshan’ during the ongoing three-day long ‘Pongal’ festival being celebrated by the Tamil Hindu community.

The Hindus have urged premier Dan Andrews and Victoria police to take strict action against the “goons” out to scare the community. Usha Senthilnathan told local media, “we are a Tamil minority group who moved to Australia as refugees to escape persecution on racial grounds but now we are being targeted based on our religion.”

On the evening of January 15, 2023, Khalistan supporters tried to draw support for their referendum 2020 campaign through a car rally in Melbourne. Less than two hundred people gathered out of an almost 60,000-strong Melbourne emigrants community.

Hindu Council of Australia’s Victoria chapter President Makrand Bhagwat told Australia Today, “I can’t tell you how upset I am for witnessing a second Hindu Temple vandalised by Khalistanis.”

Victorian Liberal Party MP Brad Battin was quoted as saying, “In no way can our future be built on hate when it has been built on working together for so long.”

These Khalistan supporters recorded a video of their despicable act at the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir. And soon, the social media accounts started sharing the images and videos claiming it to be their handiwork.