Temple, Asian eating joints defaced with hate graffiti in Melbourne, day after Indian student assaulted
PTC News Desk: A day after an Indian student was brutally assaulted in Australia the Swaminarayan Temple in Melbourne and two Asian restaurants were found defaced with hate graffiti, according to local media reports.
An image of Adolf Hitler with the message, "Go Home Brown C**T", was found spray-painted on the premises of the temple, located in Boronia on Wadhurst Drive.
A similar message was stoked in two nearby Asian restaurants.
In response to the incident, president of the Hindu Council of Australia (Victoria chapter), Makrand Bhagwat, said the incident was an attack on "our identity and right to worship".
"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 freedom of religion," Bhagwat said.
The incident comes a day after an Indian student was brutally assaulted and racially abused in Australia's Adleide. A group of unidentified men approached the victim, Charanpreet Singh and his wife and hurled racial abuse and launched physical assault without prior provocation. "They just said 'f--- off, Indian', and after that they just started punching," 9News quoted him as saying. "I tried to fight back, but they beat me until I was unconscious," he added.
Singh sustained critical injuries including facial fractures and is currently undergoing treatment.
- With inputs from agencies
