Ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States this week, the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Melville, New York, was vandalized with hate-filled messages, sparking outrage and calls for swift justice. The incident occurred on Monday, just days before the Prime Minister’s scheduled community event in nearby Long Island.

The Indian Consulate in New York strongly condemned the vandalism, describing the act as “unacceptable” and calling for immediate action against the perpetrators. “The vandalism of the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Melville, New York, is unacceptable,” the Consulate tweeted, adding that they are in touch with the local community and have raised the matter with U.S. law enforcement to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.

Expletives and offensive messages were sprayed on the road and temple signage, prompting widespread condemnation from local and national leaders. U.S. Congressman Tom Suozzi expressed his outrage, stating, “I am appalled by the hideous acts of vandalism targeting the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Melville. Such acts of vandalism, bigotry, and hate are happening far too often because of inflammatory rhetoric by national leaders, extremism, and lack of accountability.”

The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) also urged the U.S. Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security to investigate the attack, highlighting growing concerns about recent threats to Hindu institutions. The group noted that the vandalism bears resemblance to recent attacks on temples in New York, California, and Canada, and may be linked to threats made by Gurpatwant Pannun of Sikhs for Justice, who has previously targeted Indian and Hindu organizations.

The incident took place just 28 kilometers from the 16,000-seat Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, where Prime Minister Modi is expected to address a large Indian-American gathering on September 22.

Authorities have yet to make arrests, but local law enforcement is reportedly investigating the incident as a potential hate crime. Leaders across the U.S., including Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna, and Shri Thanedar, have joined calls for accountability and action to prevent further such incidents.