Just a day after news of the brutal assault of a 23-year-old Indian student in Adelaide sparked outrage across communities, a Swaminarayan Temple in Melbourne and two nearby Asian restaurants were defaced with racist hate graffiti, The Australia Today reported.
One of the most disturbing images spray-painted on the temple's premises in Boronia’s Wadhurst Drive included a portrait of Adolf Hitler accompanied by the hate-filled message, "Go Home Brown CT."** The same offensive phrase was also scrawled across the facades of two nearby Asian restaurants, underscoring growing concerns over racially motivated hate crimes in Australia.
Reacting to the incident, Makrand Bhagwat, President of the Victoria chapter of the Hindu Council of Australia, strongly condemned the act, calling it a direct attack on the community’s freedom of faith and cultural identity.
“Our temple is meant to be a sanctuary of peace, devotion and unity. To have it targeted in this way feels like an attack on our identity, our right to worship and our freedom of religion,” Bhagwat said in a statement to the media. Jacinta Allan, Premier of Victoria, expressed deep concern in a letter addressed to the temple’s management, describing the graffiti as “hateful and racist.” She assured swift action, stating that a formal investigation had been launched.
“It wasn’t just vandalism, but a deliberate act of hate, designed to intimidate, isolate and spread fear,” Allan wrote. Authorities have yet to make any arrests in connection with the vandalism, but the incident has reignited calls for stronger measures against hate crimes in Australia.
Brutal assault on Indian student in Adelaide
The defacing of the temple comes on the heels of another alarming incident involving racial violence—a 23-year-old Indian national, Charanpreet Singh, was physically assaulted in Adelaide on Tuesday following a verbal altercation over a parking issue.
Singh, who was with his wife at the time, said the confrontation escalated when a group of men approached his vehicle, hurled racial slurs, and then violently attacked him. He sustained serious injuries, including fractures to his face, and remains hospitalised. Viral videos circulating on social media show Singh being struck repeatedly with what appeared to be metal knuckles while racial abuse was shouted at him—“Fk off, Indian”**—can be heard in the footage.
A 20-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with the incident, which police are currently investigating as a possible hate crime. Speaking to 9News from his hospital bed, Singh described the assault as more than just a parking dispute. “You can change anything in your body, but you can’t change the colours,” he said, underlining the racial undertone of the attack.
Also Read: Indian student attacked in Australia, wife films crime
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