The Vijay’s Sherawali Temple in Hayward, California, fell victim to an act of vandalism, where anti-India graffiti supporting Khalistan was found on the temple's board, according to the Hindu American Foundation (HAF). This incident occurred shortly after the recent attack on the Swaminarayan Mandir and a theft at the Shiv Durga temple in the same vicinity within the past weeks.
HAF shared a photo online displaying the defaced temple board with slogans advocating Khalistan and derogatory remarks targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They mentioned their coordination with temple leaders, the Alameda Police Department, and the civil rights division of the Justice Department.
Additionally, HAF urged all temple leaders to utilize the Hindu American temple safety guide. This guide emphasizes that temple graffiti constitutes a hate crime and stresses the significance of installing functional security cameras and alarm systems due to the escalating threat from Khalistan proponents and the persistent risk from anti-Hindu entities.
On December 23, the Swaminarayan temple in California was also targeted, with pro-Khalistan and anti-India slogans sprayed on its walls. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar expressed concern over the vandalism and emphasized that extremist and separatist forces outside India should not be given such platforms.