Indian Americans, especially Hindus, and their faith have become the focal point of political debate during the midterm election in the United States after a conservative YouTuber called for the removal of a 90-foot statue of Lord Hanuman in Texas, prompting strong backlash from the South Asian community.
The Statue of the Union — installed at the Asthalaxmi Temple in Sugarland, Texas — has been at the center of a controversy since its consecration in August 2024, with a section of US President Donald Trump’s conservative cohorts calling it “un-Christian”.
“If winning in America means demolishing Hindu temples, you don’t want the country I fought for. Bakshi’s remarks also received support from the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) and Carl Wheless, a US Army veteran based in Texas who describes himself as a political commentator.
“It is a threat against Hinduism itself to vandalise another American community’s house of worship because you hate the faith inside it,” Bakshi said, describing himself as an American-Hindu who is concerned about anti-Hindu hate in the US. You just want a license to go after people who aren’t you,” he said. “We share your horror at the open religious bigotry being mainstreamed on this platform and are proud to fight it alongside you,” CoHNA said in a post on X.
Home to more than five lakh Indian-Americans, the state operates under a Republican trifecta and triplex, meaning the conservative party holds the governorship, all statewide executive offices, and both chambers of the state legislature.
Home to more than five lakh Indian-Americans, the state operates under a Republican trifecta and triplex, meaning the conservative party holds the governorship, all statewide executive offices, and both chambers of the state legislature. The anti-immigrant narrative has been a recurring theme in the midterm election campaign in Texas, more so since President Donald Trump returned to the White House for a second term. Texas has been a Republican stronghold for decades and hasn’t elected a Democrat to any office since 1994.
