On Monday (January 23) morning, the Hare Krishna temple located at Albert Park in Melbourne city of Australia was attacked and desecrated by unidentified miscreants.
The temple, which has served as the centre of the Bhakti Yoga movement in Melbourne, is run by the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
3rd attack on Melbourne Hindu temple by terror-linked miscreants.Incompetence of @vicpolice emboldens Khalistanis as they brazenly release video of act. Graffitti sprayed on Iskon’s Albert Prk temple glorifying Bhindranwale,Khalistan;death to ‘Hindustan’ in build up to referendum pic.twitter.com/ba4jZo8fpx
— Australian Hindu Media (@austhindu) January 22, 2023
In visuals shared on social media, it could be seen that the temple walls were defaced with anti-India slogans of ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ and ‘Hindustan Murdabad.’ The miscreants had also hailed slain Khalistani terrorist, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, as a martyr.
While speaking about the matter to The Australia Today, ISKCON’s Director of Communication Bhakta Das said, “We are shocked and outraged with this blatant disregard for respect for the place of worship.”
Hare Krishna Temple Melbourne (ISKCON) 23 Jan.
— zarnish (@zarnish7080) January 22, 2023
LIT With @austhindu
“Khalistan Zindabad” –
“Sant Bhindranwale Is MARTYR” – “hindu-stan Murdabad” #bbc Modi #FaisleRajasthanKe pic.twitter.com/7T62r94d50
He further added, “A complaint has been filed with Victoria Police and CCTV footage is being provided to assist them in their pursuit of culprits.” A devotee of ISKCON named Shivesh Pandey had also raised concerns over the targeting of the Hindu community.
“In the last two weeks, Victoria Police has failed to take any decisive action against the people who are running their hate-filled agenda against the peaceful Hindu community. Every Hindu around me is so frustrated with authorities, you tell me what are we supposed to do?” he said.
Pandey further emphasised, “Shall we come out on the streets and then only the Victorian government and Victoria Police will wake up from their slumber?” This is the third attack on a Hindu temple in Australia in a span of just 2 weeks.
Past incidents of temple attacks in Australia
On January 17, 2023, Khalistani supporters vandalised the historic Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Carrum Downs in Melbourne. The miscreants wrote anti-Hindu and anti-India slogans on the walls near the temple during the vandalization.
‘Target Modi’, ‘Modi Hitler’, and ‘Hindustan Murdabad’, read the slogans painted on the temples’ walls during vandalization. As per reports, the attack is said to have happened on January 16 days after Khalistan supporters allegedly attacked and vandalized BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Melbourne’s northern suburb of Mill Park.
Earlier on January 12, BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, a Hindu temple in Melbourne, Australia, was desecrated by Khalistan supporters and damaged by painting anti-India graffiti on it.
According to the reports, the walls of Melbourne’s iconic Swaminarayan temple in Mill Park’s northern suburbs were spray-painted with ‘Hindustan Murdabad,’ slogans.
