Melbourne: A third Hindu temple was vandalized with anti-India graffiti on Monday (January 23), days after the Sri Shiv Vishnu Temple at Carrom Downs in Melbourne’s Albert Park was vandalised, The Australia Today reported. Melbourne’s International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) management of the temple, also known as the Hare Krishna Temple, vandalized the walls of the temple with anti-India graffiti in the early hours of Monday (January 23). Bhakta Das, director of communications for the ISKCON temple, said he was “shocked” by the disregard of respect for the place of worship and said he had lodged a complaint with Victoria Police.
“We are shocked and outraged at this blatant disregard of respect for a place of worship,” Das said. IT consultant and ISKCON temple devotee Shivesh Pandey said Victoria Police has failed to take any action against those who are running a “hate-filled agenda” against the Hindu community, media reports said.
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Australia Today quoted Shivesh Pandey as saying, “Over the past two weeks, Victoria Police has failed to take any decisive action against those who are driving their hate agenda against the peaceful Hindu community.” The attack on the ISKCON temple comes two days after Victorian multifaith leaders held an emergency meeting with the Victorian Multicultural Commission according to media reports.
The Victorian Multicultural Commission released a statement condemning the vandalism of Hindu temples in Mill Park and Carrom Downs. Earlier, the Sri Shiv Vishnu Temple in Carrom Downs, Australia was vandalized with anti-Hindu graffiti. The act came to light after devotees came to the temple for ‘darshan’ on January 16 amid the three-day “Thai Pongal” festival being celebrated by Australia’s Tamil Hindu community.
On January 12, the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Melbourne’s Mill Park area was vandalized by anti-India elements with anti-India slogans scrawled on the walls of the temple located in the suburb of Mill Park, The Australia Today reported. Patel, a bystander who did not wish to reveal his first name, told The Australia Today how he saw the vandalized walls of the temple when he visited the site. “When I reached the temple this morning, all the walls were painted with graffiti of Khalistani hatred towards Hindus.” Australia Today quoted Patel as saying.
“I am enraged, horrified and dismayed by the open display of religious hatred towards a peaceful Hindu community by Khalistan supporters,” he said. These acts of vandalism and hatred.” It said it was committed to “peaceful coexistence and dialogue for all religions”.
(With inputs from ANI)