‘PM Albanese assured me…’: PM Modi talks tough on vandalism of temples in Australia
Prime minister Narendra Modi – who is on a three-day visit to Australia – on Wednesday red-flagged the issue of attacks on Hindu temples in that country and said his counterpart, Anthony Albanese had promised to take ‘strict action’ against those responsible.
“PM Anthony Albanese and I have, in the past, discussed the issue of attack on temples in Australia and activities of separatist elements. We discussed the matter today also,” Modi told reporters this morning.
“We will not accept any elements that harm friendly and warm ties between India (and) Australia… PM Albanese assured me once again today he will take strict actions against such elements in the future also,” the Indian leader said.
“I gave him (prime minister Modi) the assurance Australia is a country that respects people’s faith… that we don’t tolerate the sort of extreme actions and attacks we have seen on religious temples, be they Hindu temples, synagogues, or churches. This has no place in Australia,” Albanese told reporters.
The Aus PM was responding to questions about his promise to Modi.
“We will take every action through our police and also our security agencies to make sure that anyone responsible faces the full force of the law. We are a tolerant, multicultural nation, and there is no place in Australia for this…”
In March, when the Australian PM was visiting India, he stressed his government would not take attacks on any religious building lightly.
Back then Modi, speaking at an exchange of agreements with Albanese, said frequent incidents of vandalism and abuse of Hindu temples had left Indians and that he had been assured by Albanese of protection of the Indian diaspora.
That was the month a major Hindu temple in Brisbane – the Sree Laxmi Narayan Temple – was attacked by pro-Khalistan supporters.
In January two other instances were reported – the Sri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Carrum Downs was painted with anti-Hindu graffiti and another temple in Mill Park was defaced with both anti-India and anti-Hindu graffiti.