South Queens, NY (August 9, 2022) - Today, Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar– the first Hindu-American elected official in New York State – brought together community leaders, national leaders, and elected officials to denounce a suspected hate crime at Shri Tulsi Mandir, a beloved Hindu temple in South Richmond Hill. Last Wednesday, three unidentified men vandalized, smashed, and toppled a cherished statue of Mahatma Gandhi outside the mandir. This comes after the vandalism of Union Square’s famed Gandhi statue in February, and the desecration of other Gandhi statues around the world.

Assemblywoman Rajkumar stated: “A central tenet of Hinduism is inclusivity and mutual respect toward people of all faiths. Hindus believe not just in tolerance, but in one step more than tolerance– actively loving and respecting people of different backgrounds and faiths. This was Mahatma Gandhi’s dream– a peaceful, loving world. We have achieved Gandhi’s dream in Richmond Hill, where Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jews, and Christians live together in harmony, often on the same block.”

She continued: “The desecration of Gandhi statues and anti-Hindu hate crimes will not be tolerated in Richmond Hill or anywhere in New York State. At a time when our city is experiencing a 127% increase in hate crimes, elected officials and community leaders gathered together in my district at Tulsi Mandir to condemn hate crimes against any group based on their religion or ethnicity.”

Rajkumar called for the vandalism to be investigated as a hate crime and for the perpetrators to be persecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

The event continued Assemblywoman Rajkumar’s extensive work to combat hate crimes. In June, she passed a law creating the first ever Asian American and Pacific Islander Commission in New York State, which will develop solutions to the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes. The Assemblywoman also takes the lead in speaking out against hate crimes in Queens, including multiple anti-Sikh hate crimes, the assault of a white woman in Woodhaven being investigated as a hate crime, and a series of Islamophobic hate crimes in South Queens.

Pandit Lakhram Maharaj, founder and spiritual leader of Shri Tulsi Mandir, thanked the Assemblywoman for organizing the outpouring of support.

“We are all so proud that Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar is the first Hindu American in New York State Office, and we are blessed that she brings the whole community together to take action at this challenging moment in time for the Hindu-American community,” he said. “Our statue of Mohandas Gandhi represented our Hindu values of love, respect, and peace. The statue may be gone, but the values it embodied will endure forever, and they must guide us as we respond to this incident. What we want is not revenge against the perpetrators, but mutual understanding; not punishment, but healing. We are grateful to have Assemblywoman Rajkumar on our side as we embark on this healing process.”

Attendees offered their sympathies to the mandir and committed to aiding Assemblywoman Rajkumar’s work to end hate crimes.

“I condemn the vile desecration of the Mohandas Gandhi statue at the Tulsi Mandir,” said Congressman Gregory Meeks. “Acts of hate have no place in our community and nation and the perpetrators need to be held accountable. Let this moment stand as a testament to our ability to unite and strive for peace in our neighborhoods throughout Southeast Queens. I am committed to work with Assemblywoman Rajkumar and leaders here, as well as, my colleagues in Washington, D.C. to fight against the scourge of hatred and intolerance permeating our communities. We cannot stand idly by and let dangerous rhetoric and actions inspire fear, but we can come together to support each other in this tragic moment.”

“Hate has no place in Queens, and hateful acts like the disgraceful vandalism that took place at the Shri Tulsi Mandir will not be tolerated here,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr.“Queens is called ‘The World’s Borough’ because we respect the many different cultures of our residents. So when an act of hate is committed against one group, our entire borough stands together as one community in denouncing the hate. I join with Assemblywoman Rajkumar and my fellow elected officials and community leaders in calling on whoever perpetrated this recent vandalism to be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

"I'm horrified that a statue of Mahatma Gandhi was vandalized outside of a Hindu temple in my district last week,” said Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. Hate has no place in our community, Queens, or New York City. I join my colleagues, community, and faith leaders to unequivocally denounce this troubling act of hate. As a city, we must root out hate with love and acceptance. The Council will continue to invest in preventing hate crimes and supporting the communities, like mine, that too often experience it. We will continue working together in unity for the safer communities we all want."

“Whenever places of worship are defaced, vandalized or attacked we must ask why the perpetrators did it and address the situation. That is what we are doing here at the Tulsi Mandir temple since their Gandhi statue was vandalized and knocked over last week,” State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. said. “I will work with my colleagues on the governmental level, the police force and the community so we can find these vandals and make sure justice is served, while continuing to promote the awareness and education that vandalizing religious sites and statues hurts not only the house of worship, but the entire community.”

“I am appalled that we have to keep convening in circumstances like this again and again,” said Assemblyman David Weprin. “Vandalism, threats, or intimidation against any of our houses of worship will never be tolerated. I do not come from a Hindu background, but I view this vandalism as if it were an attack on my own Synagogue. Mahatma Gandhi was a dedicated servant of peace in the face of violence – we must embody his values and stand in solidarity with the attendees of Tulsi Mandir and our neighbors in the Hindu community.”

“The desecration of any religious statue, symbol or artifact is a crime against all of us. The symbols have deep meaning to many and much significance to their religion. I hope that the perpetrators of this crime are brought to justice quickly,” said Councilwoman Joann Ariola.

“Any act of vandalism towards any item of religious or cultural significance to anyone, most especially one located at a religious institution, is unacceptable behavior,” said Community Board 10 Chair Betty Braton. “Hate has no place in our society. Community Board 10 joins in condemning hateful behavior such as what occurred here at one of the religious institutions in our district.”

Significantly, two national Hindu groups, the Hindu American Foundation and the Coalition of Hindus of North America, also joined to support the Hindu-American community in Queens.

“Mahatma Gandhi’s message of peace and oneness emanates from the core of Hindu teachings. For those who wish to divide and sow seeds of hate, that message is a threat, and so we see these ugly attacks on a prominent symbol of our legacy and that too at a temple — the most sacred of spaces for Hindus,” stated Suhag Shukla, Executive Director of the Hindu American Foundation. “We call upon local and federal law enforcement to investigate this latest attack and whether it is related to similar attacks on statues of Gandhi in other parts of the country and bring these criminals to justice.”

“CoHNA strongly condemns this hate crime against the Tulsi Mandir and stands in solidarity with Assemblywoman Rajkumar in calling for a swift investigation,” said Nikunj Trivedi, President of the Coalition of Hindus of North America. “Unfortunately, we are seeing a surge in Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu hate crimes, including the desecration of Gandhi statues and attacks on Hindu public officials in multiple places. We call upon leaders, law officials and the general public to stand against such hate and bigotry.”

“I condemn every type of vandalism and especially against any religious group, statue or artifacts that represent them,” said 106th Precinct Community Council President Frank Dardani.

“When anyone is a victim of a hate crime in Richmond Hill, it is a crime against the very values that define our neighborhood,” said longtime Richmond Hill community leader Romeo Hitllal. “I love Richmond Hill because people of every faith and background live together in a spirit of camaraderie and community. The hatred that drove the abhorrent vandalism at Tulsi Mandir is not who we are, and we will work together to make the mandir, and our whole community, stronger and more welcoming than ever before.”