Why are Hindu temples being attacked in America? 105 lawmakers write to FBI

New Delhi: More than 100 lawmakers have expressed concern about the continued attacks on Hindu temples in the United States. A bipartisan group of 105 lawmakers has urged the FBI to investigate the attempted shooting at a Hindu temple in Illinois as a hate crime.

The lawmakers have asked what steps are being taken to address the ongoing threats against South Asian communities, particularly Hindus, Sikhs and Indian-Americans.

What is the whole matter?

Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi led a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel regarding the incident that occurred at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy (Balaji) Hindu Temple in Aurora, Illinois, on October 11. Congressman Krishnamoorthi and his family were offering prayers when the shooting occurred.

19-year-old Alexandros Papourakis attempted to shoot a man outside the temple, but his rifle jammed. He fled the scene and was arrested the same day by police following a tip-off from a colleague. The suspect was found in possession of a white supremacist manifesto, a rifle, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, body armor, and hate material that included calls to target people of Indian origin at a Hindu place of worship.

Indian-American lawmakers and other lawmakers have asked the FBI several questions. They asked whether racial, ethnic, and religious bias is being investigated in this case. Were any online platforms or other individuals involved in the conspiracy? The lawmakers have asked the FBI for a written response by October 29th.

Rising hatred against South Asian communities

The letter also expressed concern that hate against South Asians is rapidly increasing on social media, citing a report that showed more than 542,000 anti-South Asian hate posts were made on X between January 2025 and June 2026.

According to a report by the Carnegie Endowment, 48% of Indian-Americans admitted to having encountered racist posts since the beginning of 2025 and one in four reported hearing racist comments directed at them.