Sydney BAPS Swaminarayan temple vandalised by Khalistan supporters ahead of Modi visit

In yet another instance of attack on Hindu temples in Australia, the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in a suburb of western Sydney has been vandalised by Khalistan sympathisers. The incident happened weeks before Indian prime minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Australian port city for the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) on May 24.

According to The Australia Today, the temple management found in early Friday (5) morning that the front wall of the temple building vandalised with graffiti "Declare Modi Terrorist (BBC)" and a Khalistan flag hanging on its gate.

Sejal Patel, a local resident who visits the temple daily, told The Australia Today that she noticed the vandalism on the front wall and asked who would do such a thing to the peaceful temple community in the right mind.

Sejal Patel is a resident of local Harris Park suburb and a daily visitor to the Swaminarayan temple.

The temple management informed the police about the incident early in the day and told the news outlet that New South Wales Police officers visited the temple and were provided with CCTV footage to help their investigation.

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir also issued a detailed statement with the title 'Appeal For Peace' over the incident.

The latest act of vandalism by pro-Khalistan supporters happened a few months after a number of temples in Australian cities such as Melbourne and Brisbane were attacked by them.

However, unlike the previous instances, the attackers also put the Khalistan flag to convey a message that they are not too worried about the police.

In January, the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in the northern suburb of Mill Park in Melbourne was vandalised by Khalistani attackers.

Sai Paravastu, national secretary of the Hindu Council of Australia, told The Australia Today that the council strongly condemns the act.

“This heinous crime is not only an attack on the sanctity of the Temple but also an insult to the Hindu community in Australia," he was quoted as saying by the news outlet.

“We urge the authorities to investigate this matter thoroughly and bring the perpetrators to justice.

We also call upon all members of the community to stand together against such acts of hate and violence and to promote mutual respect and understanding among all faiths and cultures," he added, according to The Australia Today.

Australian member of parliament from Parramatta in New South Wales Andrew Charlton reached the temple and contributed in repainting the wall.

“This morning, BAPS temple in my electorate of Parramatta was vandalised by religious extremists. I am deeply shocked and saddened by this act of mindless vandalism. Everyone in Australia has the right to practice their faith in peace," he was quoted as saying by The Australia Today.

He also said that the federal government of Australia will not tolerate such acts of religious extremism and that relevant federal and state authorities were probing the incident.

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Sydney later this month for the Quad summit.

His Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese had assured the former of taking strict action over such incidents during his visit to India in March when Modi raised the incidents of frequent attacks on temples Down Under.