Hindu temple defaced with racist graffiti in Melbourne
Shree Swaminarayan Temple on Wadhurst Drive, Melbourne's eastern suburb of Boronia, was defaced with red-painted racist slurs on Monday morning, the Australia Today web portal reported. Two restaurants located further on Boronia Road were painted with the same slurs on the same day, it added.Victoria Police confirmed the incident, saying that 'there is absolutely no place at all in our society for hate-based and racist behaviour', the report said.
Shocked with the incident, president of the Hindu Council of Australia, Victoria chapter, Makrand Bhagwat, said 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, in a private message to temple management, called the attack 'hateful' and 'racist', the report said.
'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,' the report quoted from Jacinta's message.
Meanwhile, the Hindu community urged support from interfaith groups following the incident.The attack hints at the worrying rise in targeted hate incidents across Melbourne, the report said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
25 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Germany to extend border controls in migration crackdown
Germany will push on with temporary border controls beyond a September deadline as it cracks down on irregular immigration, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said Thursday (August 7, 2025). Berlin also plans to deport more rejected asylum seekers with criminal records to Taliban-run Afghanistan and to war-scarred Syria, Mr. Dobrindt said in a podcast with media outlet Germany's conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed a tough crackdown on irregular immigration, saying this is the only way to stem rising support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. A spate of deadly attacks blamed on asylum seekers and other foreign nationals fuelled public fears during the campaign for the February election, in which the AfD scored a record 20%. "We will continue to maintain the border controls" beyond the September 15 deadline, Mr. Dobrindt said about the measures first launched last year under the previous government of Olaf Scholz and extended by six months in March. "We are in agreement with our European partners that this is a necessary measure until the (EU) external border protection system is fully operational," he said. Members of Europe's Schengen area are allowed to temporarily reintroduce border controls for up to two years in response to serious threats such as terrorism or large-scale unauthorised migration. Mr. Merz's government further tightened the border checks when it took power in early May, moving to also reject most asylum seekers — a step that sparked an outcry from human rights groups. Federal police numbers deployed daily at the borders were stepped up to 14,000 from 11,000. According to ministry data, 9,254 people were turned back at German land borders between May 8 and July 31 — with most recorded cases from Afghanistan followed by Algeria, Eritrea and Somalia. Germany's border with France saw the most rejections, at more than 2,000 in that period, followed by Poland, Switzerland and Austria. Germany has also twice deported migrants convicted of offences to Afghanistan, most recently last month when 81 were sent back — a move Mr. Dobrindt said "cannot remain a one-off measure". Amnesty International criticised the deportations, saying the situation in Afghanistan was "catastrophic" and that "extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances and torture are commonplace". Mr. Dobrindt also said Berlin was working to organise deportation flights to Syria, where an Islamist-led offensive toppled longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in December.
Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
TOI Dialogues – Infrastructure Chapter: UP emerging as India's new growth engine; govt pushes for sustainable water future
Uttar Pradesh's additional chief secretary and in-charge of state's renewable energy and technical education department, Narendra Bhooshan said on Thursday that Uttar Pradesh is the 'new growth driver of India. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now ' He was speaking at the TOI Dialogues – Infrastructure Chapter, in his address he highlighted that the energy sector is one area which will be instrumental in achieving the state's ambition of a $1 trillion economy. He emphasised upon the fact that UP being the country's most populous state is on the forefront of energy transition and consumption, helping it grow massively in terms of energy demand, value addition, capital investment, job creation and revenue generation. He credited UP CM Adityanath and PM Modi for the transformation. Bhoooshan pointed out the key goals set by the PM, 'to achieve VIksit Bharat 2047, at a global level India needs to act as Vishwa Vijeta', and the panch amrit principle - net zero by 2070, non-fossil fuel based energy capacity of 500GW by 2030, to generate 50 per cent of country energy requirement coming from renewable sources and so on.' He went on to talk about the concerted efforts put in by the UP government in order align itself with the larger goal of the PM and making India a leading economy in the world. The secretary even referred to how the growth in this sector in fact acts as a leverage against the duty imposition such as by the US, as there isn't any export but self consumption. He also mentioned the 'Hindu rate of growth' - referring to the commentary by Raj Krishna, an economist, about the abysmal GDP growth of India in the years following Independence till the 90's when economy was opened up - he said today we have come a long way from that and now 'we grow on an average of 7-8 per cent,' but 'in order to achieve PM vision we need to break this as well and perhaps grow at 9-10 per cent. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now ' He termed power sector as the key in achieving that goal and said that UP last year left Maharashtra way behind in peak energy consumption and was on the way to do so this year as well', with an average growth in sector of 9-11 per cent. In a separate panel discussion on - UP's holistic approach to sustainability and water security - it discussed the vital steps taken by the government to safeguard states natural resources, and water governance, in order to ensure a brighter future for generations to come. The panel was joined by GS Naveen, UP government secretary of irrigation, and Ganesh Thorat, CEO of Naam Foundation. The panel discussed the challenges faced by the government in order to manage the depleting water levels and shrinking rivers, taking a sustainable route for a 'Green and Blue Future' with Uttar Pradesh being a highly agricultural state. They highlighted how the culturally important Tamsa river in Azamgarh was brought back from extreme shrinking to its full flow with the help of targeted community run campaign over the period of two months, against disposing waste in the river and making clean and helping it flow at its full might. The panel also talked about several similar efforts that are underway in order to reach a sustainable future.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Yogi calls Sambhal a sacred symbol of Hindu faith, vows to restore its heritage
Lucknow: In his first visit to Sambhal district after violence broke out there over a disputed mosque, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday declared Sambhal "a sacred symbol of Hindu faith". The CM said violence unleashed by foreign invaders was suppressed in history books and accused the invaders of desecrating and destroying Sambhal's Sanatan history — the city is believed to be the birthplace of Kalki, the 10th avatar of Lord Vishnu. Yogi warned that any malicious attempts to undermine Sanatan Dharma would be firmly crushed and told people to never forgive Congress and SP for having sinned against Sambhal. The CM inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 222 development projects worth Rs 659 crore in Sambhal. He claimed that the town once boasted 68 pilgrimage sites, 19 sacred wells, and traditional 24- and 84-kos parikrama routes, all of which were destroyed by invaders. The holy sites were taken over, and a deliberate attempt was made to erase the truth, he said. Referring to this as a "malicious conspiracy," Yogi vowed that all 68 shrines and 19 wells would be restored. "Just like Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar revived Kashi Vishwanath and Somnath temples, we will initiate a similar renaissance for Sambhal's heritage. True development lies in preserving legacy while shaping the golden dreams of today and tomorrow," he said. The projects launched on Thursday, he said, covered education, vocational training, drinking water, roads, Anganwadi centres, and infrastructure for composite schools. Yogi highlighted Sambhal's spiritual significance, calling it the sacred land of both Vishnu and Shiva, which found mention in scriptures like the Shrimad Bhagavat, Skanda, and Vishnu Puranas as the birthplace of Lord Kalki in Kaliyug. Attacking those who label Hindu traditions as controversial, the CM said that it was their own background that was controversial, and therefore they viewed heritage with the same lens. He threatened that any attempt to undermine Sanatan Dharma would be "firmly crushed" and those who desecrate Sanatan Dharma's holy sites would "pay the price." He announced that if Varanasi and Ayodhya could be revived, Sambhal too would be restored to its original form, and his govt would rejuvenate Lord Kalki's shrine and Harihar Dham. "Congress orchestrated mass killings here, and SP, as its disciple, shielded the murderers. Never forget their sins against Sambhal. They hid the truth of post-independence massacres out of fear of losing their vote bank. We are not here for vote bank politics; we are here to preserve our heritage. Those who shame India and its values will be taught a lesson their future generations won't forget," the CM said. Highlighting his govt's achievements over the past eight years, the CM said that 8.5 lakh jobs were provided, including the recent police recruitment of 60,200 persons. He hit out against previous govts, accusing them of nurturing one mafia per district, whereas his govt was promoting the 'One District, One Product' scheme and implementing welfare initiatives such as housing for the poor, free ration, grants for weddings, and health services. During the day, the CM also inspected archaeological artefacts unearthed in Sambhal and planted saplings to promote environmental awareness. He also launched the 'Sambhal Samvad' app and distributed cheques, house keys, and certificates to beneficiaries of various govt schemes. Mentioning the upcoming Independence Day celebrations, the CM asked people to respond to PM Narendra Modi's call and hoist the national flag. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and s ilver prices in your area.
