Attack on BAPS Temple in New York Act of Hate Crime by Khalistani Groups: Intel Sources to News18

The attack on a temple in New York is a hate crime perpetrated by Khalistani groups, top intelligence sources told CNN-News18 on Tuesday.

Videos shared online showed expletives sprayed on the road and the signage outside the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir at Melville. The Indian consulate in New York described the incident as “unacceptable” and raised the matter with United States law enforcement authorities to initiate prompt action against the perpetrators.

“The vandalism of the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Melville, New York, is unacceptable; The Consulate @IndiainNewYork is in touch with the community and has raised the matter with U.S. law enforcement authorities for prompt action against the perpetrators of this heinous act,” the consulate said in a post on social media site X.

The US and Canada have become breeding grounds for Khalistani separatists attacking temples with the idea of creating fear in places where Hindu consolidation is happening, said intelligence sources.

Melville is about 28 km from the 1,600-seater Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address a mega community event on September 22 as part of his visit to the United States.

There have been multiple incidents of vandalism at Hindu temples in different parts of the world by Khalistani separatists, said the sources.

In April 2023, a BAPS temple in Windsor, Canada, was defaced with anti-India graffiti. A similar incident happened in February 2023 at a temple in Mississauga municipality in Canada.

“It is routine for these Khalistani groups and the Sikh for Justice group to do such acts,” said an intelligence source. “They are constantly creating tensions around Indian consulates and missions in the UK, US, and Canada. These groups are funded by the ISI to create trouble and insult Hindus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and India.”

Sikhs are against these activities but a select group of separatists who regularly visit gurdwaras in these countries are doing this, said sources.

“With their presence in gurdwaras, people think Sikhs are doing this, which is not true,” a source said. “All gurdwaras are self-funded but a select group is doing this after getting foreign funding from the ISI and defaming Sikhs. BAPS is doing fantastic work all across the globe including charity for cancer patients in these countries.”

Pakistan’s spy agency ISI doesn’t want big Hindu organisations to grow in these countries where consolidation of the community is happening, the sources said.

“BAPS will be fully supported and our mission chiefs are in constant touch; soon we will work out safety mechanisms,” said a source.