Red spray paint, slurs, and silence: Police probe attack on Hindu temple and Asian-run restaurants in Boronia
The red paint was still wet when the first worshippers arrived at Melbourne’s Swaminarayan Temple in Boronia early Monday morning. What they saw stunned them: walls smeared with hateful slogans, some of them racial, others religious, none of them subtle.
This wasn’t just graffiti. This felt personal.
Police have launched an investigation after the temple — along with two nearby Asian-owned restaurants — was defaced with identical messages over the weekend. It’s the fourth such incident targeting Indian or Hindu places of worship in Victoria since 2022.
“It’s not just paint, it’s pain”
Makrand Bhagwat, head of the Hindu Council of Australia’s Victoria chapter, didn’t mince his words. Speaking to The Australia Today, he called the attack “a stab in the heart of the community.”
“Our temple is meant to be a sanctuary of peace, devotion and unity. Seeing it vandalised felt like an attack on our identity, our right to worship and freedom of religion,” he said.
The temple, located on Wadhurst Drive in Boronia, is more than just a place of worship. It’s where the Indian-Australian community in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs gathers for bhajans, community meals, weddings, and festivals. Holi, Diwali, Janmashtami — they’ve all been celebrated here with music, lights, and laughter.
Now, it’s all overshadowed by red scrawls sprayed across sacred walls.
Same message, multiple buildings
What makes this incident more chilling is how coordinated it seems.
Local police say the same red graffiti — featuring near-identical wording — was found on:
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The Swaminarayan Temple in Boronia
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A family-run Asian eatery two blocks away
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A second restaurant nearby, also Asian-owned
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A back alley wall between the two food outlets
According to a preliminary police statement, the four acts of vandalism likely happened within a three-hour window overnight between July 20 and 21.
“We are treating these incidents as linked,” a Victoria Police spokesperson said. “We have begun reviewing CCTV footage from surrounding businesses and council cameras.”
Not the first time, and locals fear it won’t be the last
This isn’t an isolated event.
Victoria, particularly the Melbourne metro area, has seen a rise in racially or religiously motivated defacements since early 2023. Hindu temples in areas like Carrum Downs, Mill Park, and even in Western Sydney have previously been targeted — sometimes with anti-India slogans, other times with profanity and threats.
One elderly congregant at the Swaminarayan temple, who asked not to be named, said it reminded him of similar incidents from last year. “It’s like someone out there really doesn’t want us here. And the worst part is, you start believing them.”
There’s a growing sense of unease.
Families who once felt safe sending kids to temple classes or weekend Gujarati programs now find themselves second-guessing. “It’s not just a building. This is our safe place. And they want us to feel unsafe there too,” said a young mother.
Community leaders call for government response
Leaders across Melbourne’s Indian community are now urging Victorian authorities to act faster, not just reactively.
In a letter sent Wednesday to the state’s Minister for Multicultural Affairs, a coalition of Hindu organizations demanded:
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Faster prosecution timelines for hate crimes
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Dedicated police liaison officers for ethnic places of worship
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Additional funding for surveillance infrastructure
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Clearer public communication after such events
“There’s a difference between condemning something and actually doing something about it,” said Ramesh Iyer, a Melbourne-based lawyer and longtime temple volunteer.
He added: “We need more than press releases. We need prevention.”
Why Boronia? Why now?
Boronia isn’t a high-crime area. In fact, it’s known more for its quiet cul-de-sacs, retirees, and family-run bakeries than for racially charged tension.
So why was it hit?
Some believe it may be linked to the recent rise in pro-Khalistan activity across parts of Australia, though officials were careful not to speculate. Others point to global events — increased geopolitical friction between India and diaspora-linked groups — as a possible backdrop.
Whatever the motive, the result is clear: a deep sense of hurt.
And anger.
Not just a Hindu issue — but a broader warning sign
While the latest attacks focused on Hindu and Asian-owned properties, advocates warn it could widen. Hate, they argue, rarely stays in one lane.
“There’s a playbook,” said Priya Shah, a cultural researcher based in Melbourne. “First it’s temples. Then mosques. Then synagogues. Then anyone who looks different.”
Australia, she notes, has done well in recent years building strong multicultural protections. But the persistence of such attacks — and the social media silence they sometimes meet — shows there’s more work to be done.
