Washington, October 23, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has warned that rising anti-Indian rhetoric in the United States is translating into violence, questioning the FBI’s failure to detect an alleged two-year plot to attack a Hindu temple near Chicago.
In an interview with IANS, the Indian-American lawmaker said a potential massacre at the Balaji temple was averted on October 11 after a gunman allegedly fired a shot outside the premises but his weapon malfunctioned.
“Numerous families were celebrating Navaratri inside the Balaji temple, including my own,” Krishnamoorthi said, describing the alleged attacker as carrying an AR-15-style weapon and more than 300 rounds of ammunition.
The Congressman expressed concern that he had received no response from the FBI to his demands for an investigation into the incident.
“No, we have not received a response yet,” he said, adding that he could not explain the apparent silence of FBI Director Kash Patel.
Krishnamoorthi also criticised lawmakers who had not publicly condemned the incident, arguing that silence could be interpreted as condoning such violence. He called on political leaders to reject hatred targeting all religious communities, including Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Christians and Sikhs.
Widening his criticism to the broader political climate, he accused influential figures of fuelling hostility towards Indians and other Asian communities.
He cited remarks by Bo French, whom he described as a MAGA candidate from Texas, about Indian-origin children attending a football game. Krishnamoorthi said many of the children were born in Texas and argued that portraying them as foreigners displacing Americans reflected racial prejudice.
He also criticised a US Department of Education social media post featuring white spectators at a University of Texas football game with the message, “Make college football great again”, alleging that it reinforced the same sentiment.
“That type of fanning of the flames only makes the rhetoric stronger, more insidious, and it just takes one person to act on it,” he said. “That’s what we’re seeing right now, that rhetoric is becoming violence.”
Krishnamoorthi said the temple case involved weapons-related charges and an alleged terrorism-related offence. He called for greater federal resources to identify domestic violent extremism and urged investigators to examine the suspect’s online influences and possible radicalisation as part of a requested hate-crime investigation.
The lawmaker’s remarks come amid concerns among Indian-American communities over religious intolerance, racial hostility and the security of places of worship in the United States.
FOLLOW NOW
