Canberra, Australia: The Indian High Commissioner to Australia, Manpreet Vohra, expressed respect at Melbourne’s BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir on Sunday and spoke with the locals about their worries regarding recent vandalism to the temple. He also talked about the violence that occurred on Sunday in Melbourne. “Discussed the alarming violence witnessed yesterday in Melbourne and the worries of the peaceful community on the recent vandalism attack,” the Indian High Commissioner said to Australia.
According to reports, on Sunday, people from allegedly pro-Khalistani organisations attacked Indians holding their country’s flag. Australia Today reported on Twitter that “five persons were rushed to the hospital after the attack.”
Australia Today tweeted, “A fifth person was hospitalised after being injured in Federation Square, Melbourne, by goons from #Khalistan in another video.” Manjinder Singh Sirsa, a senior in the Bharatiya Janata Party, denounced the ‘anti-India activities’ of pro-Khalistani in Australia after the video went viral. Sirsa tweeted, “I strongly condemn anti-Indian activities by pro-Khalistani in Australia.”
According to Sirsa, anti-social elements that are using these actions to sabotage the nation’s peace and harmony need to be dealt with severely, and the offenders need to face justice. While the Khalistani gang kept hitting them, the Indian group was observed fleeing the area. An Indian flag was witnessed being broken and thrown on the ground by one person.
Anti-Indian protesters are accused of writing anti-Indian slurs on the walls of the Swaminarayan Temple in Melbourne’s Mill Park neighbourhood, according to an article in Australia Today. Patel, a bystander, described how he saw the temple’s walls had been defaced when he went to the location on Thursday.
The news website cited Patel stating, “When I arrived at the temple this morning, all walls were painted with graffiti depicting Khalistani enmity toward Hindus. He said, “I am outraged, terrified, and appalled by the brazen exhibition of religious intolerance by Khalistan advocates towards the innocent Hindu population.”
BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir expressed “deep sadness and outrage” at these acts of vandalism and hatred in a statement to The Australia Today. They have continued to be dedicated to “peaceful coexistence and dialogue to all faiths,” according to the statement. According to a report, BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir also stated that they had contacted the authorities about the occurrence. In Australia, several Hindu temples have lately suffered vandalism.
India denounced the destruction of Hindu temples in Australia and declared that the issue had been brought up with the Australian government in Canberra, where it was requested that a prompt investigation be launched against those responsible.
