Racist Graffiti Mars Melbourne Hindu Temple and Restaurants

Melbourne, Jul 24 (PTI) – A Hindu temple and two Asian-operated restaurants in Melbourne were vandalized with racist graffiti, sparking concern among community members in Australia, a media report stated on Thursday.

The Shree Swaminarayan Temple, located on Wadhurst Drive in Melbourne's eastern suburb of Boronia, was defaced with red-painted racist slurs on Monday morning, according to the Australia Today web portal.

On the same day, the same slurs were found on two restaurants situated further down Boronia Road, the report added.

Victoria Police confirmed the incident, emphasizing, "There is absolutely no place in our society for hate-based and racist behaviour," the report noted.

Makrand Bhagwat, President of the Hindu Council of Australia’s Victoria chapter, expressed his shock, stating, "It feels like an attack on our identity, our right to worship, and freedom of religion," the web portal reported.

Victoria’s Premier, Jacinta Allan, described the attack in a private message to temple management as "hateful" and "racist," the report revealed.

She stated, "What happened this week was hateful, racist, and deeply disturbing. It wasn’t just vandalism – it was a deliberate act of hate, designed to intimidate, isolate, and spread fear," quoted from Jacinta's message.

In response to the incident, the Hindu community called for support from interfaith groups. The attack highlights a worrying escalation in targeted hate incidents across Melbourne, the report indicated.

(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)