Swaminarayan Temple in Australia vandalised with rac graffiti

The Swaminarayan Temple in Australia’s Melbourne was defaced with rac graffiti on July 21, according to reports in the local media. The words “Go Home Brown…” were spray painted on the walls of the Hindu Temple located on Wadhurst Drive in the eastern suburb of Boronia. Similar graffiti was also seen on the walls of two near Asian-run restaurants.
Condemning the incident, the President of the Hindu Council of Australia, Makrand Bhagwat, said that the targeted attack feels like an attack to “our identity, our right to worship and freedom of religion.”
“Our temple is meant to be a sanctuary of peace, devotion and unity,” Bhagwat told Australia Today. He added, “Seeing it vandalised with hateful words was heartbreaking for volunteers and worshippers alike.”
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Victoria Police is investigating the four linked incidents in Boronia. “Graffiti was discovered on a temple on Wadhurst Drive in Boronia about 9.30 am. Two further restaurants were located with graffiti on Boronia Road,” the police said.
The report further claimed that Victoria’s Premier Jacinta Allan had sent a private letter to the temple authorities condemning the attack. “What happened this week was hateful, rac and deeply durbing. It wasn’t just vandalism – it was a deliberate act of hate, designed to intimidate, isolate, and spread fear. It was an attack on your right to feel safe and to belong, and on the values that bind us together. There’s no place for it anywhere in Victoria. And it must be called out for what it is,” she said in the letter.
“Jackson Taylor raised this with me directly. He is a strong voice for your community, and I want you to know that we both stand with you. I’m advised that Victoria Police are taking this matter seriously, as they should. Soon, the Miner for Multicultural Affairs will visit the Shree Swaminarayan Temple to offer the support of our Government, and to len to you and your community directly,” the letter added.
Recently, a 23-year-old Indian man was assaulted and left unconscious in central Adelaide in what authorities and the victim described as a racially motivated attack over a parking dispute. The man, Charanpreet Singh, sustained severe injuries, including brain trauma and facial fractures, after being repeatedly punched a group of unidentified assailants. The incident occurred near Kintore Avenue, a busy stretch in the heart of the city.