This incident comes after a thread of temple vandalizations that have occurred in the past year across North America. Perpetrators have damaged property at mandirs from California to New York, including statues of prominent Hindu figures such as Mahatma Gandhi. And this past July, a BAPS mandir in Edmonton, Canada, was similarly defaced.

BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha condemns the desecration of its Melville temple, urging for peace and unity against hate crimes targeting Hindu temples in NA.

The Hindu American Foundation has urged the US Justice Department to investigate the attack on BAPS Hindu Temple in New York. Earlier, the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Canada was defaced with anti-India graffiti in July.

The Hindu community and advocate groups are speaking out after a Hindu temple on Long Island was vandalized.Suffolk police say threatening anti-Hindu messages were spray-painted on the driveway and sign at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Melville.