Overview
- On the night of August 10, unknown vandals spray-painted “Hindustan, Modi Murdabad” on the welcome signboard of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Greenwood, Indiana.
- The Greenwood Police Department has opened a “criminal mischief” investigation into the incident, but no arrests or identified suspects have been reported.
- The Consulate General of India in Chicago condemned the desecration as “reprehensible” in a statement on X and raised the matter with local law enforcement for prompt action.
- The Hindu American Foundation and Coalition of Hindus of North America urged authorities to classify the incident as a hate crime and to study its link to earlier temple attacks.
- BAPS leaders say this marks the fourth similar attack on their U.S. sites in under a year and have bolstered security by hiring guards and installing surveillance cameras.