India urges US to ensure safety of its citizens after plot to target Hindu temple

India on Friday called on the United States US to ensure the safety security and wellbeing of its nationals following an alleged white supremacist plot to carry out a mass shooting targeting Indian Americans at a Hindu temple in Aurora IllinoisResponding to a question about the incident Ministry of External Affairs MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday that the alleged plot was a matter of deep concern for India and highlighted the growing cases of hate crimes and racial discrimination against the Indian community in the USBiWeekly Media Briefing by the Official Spokesperson October 16 2026 httpstcoX7vsqZWxhrmdash Randhir Jaiswal MEAIndia October 16 2026ldquoYou would have seen the statement we issued yesterday This is obviously a matter of deep concern for us At the same time it highlights the increasing cases of hate crimes and racial discrimination against the Indian community in the United Statesrdquo Jaiswal saidldquoWe have taken note of the action that US law enforcement authorities have undertaken following this incident but we call on the US side to ensure the safety security and wellbeing of Indian nationals in the countryrdquo he added19yearold arrested over alleged shooting plotThe incident involves 19yearold Alexandros Paporakis who was arrested after authorities received information on October 11 about a potential mass shooting targeting the Sri Venkateswara Swami Balaji Temple in Aurora near ChicagoAccording to police investigators recovered a document outlining an alleged attack plan along with firearms and tactical equipment Reports said the material included a manifesto titled Why I Fought AKA Aurora Shooters Manifesto which allegedly contained white supremacist and extremist viewsAuthorities reportedly recovered weapons hundreds of rounds of rifle ammunition tactical equipment body armour and a patch bearing imagery associated with white supremacist extremismProsecutors have alleged that Paporakis identified as a white supremacist and expressed an intention to kill Indian people The allegations have not been established in courtThe accused faces one count of making a terrorist threat a Class X felony and one count of unlawful possession of weapons A judge ordered him detained following a hearing with his next court appearance scheduled for October 30 according to media reportsUS Congressman says family was at templeThe alleged plot has drawn condemnation from US lawmakers and local officials with Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi revealing that he and his family were worshipping at the Aurora temple when the alleged attack was attemptedIn a post on X Krishnamoorthi condemned the alleged targeting of Indian Americans and called for collective action against racial hatred and white supremacyHe said the threat demonstrated the dangers posed by antiIndian hatred and warned against waiting for lives to be lost before taking threats of hatemotivated violence seriouslyThe Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus CAPAC also condemned the alleged plot saying it highlighted the danger white supremacist ideology posed to minority communities and places of worshipReport flags rise in online hate against South AsiansCAPAC cited a report by the Centre for the Study of Organised Hate CSOH released on September 28 which documented a rise in online hate targeting South Asian AmericansAccording to the report monthly antiSouth Asian hate on X increased by 240 per cent between January 2024 and June 2026 More than 500000 antiSouth Asian posts were recorded on the platform between January 2025 and June 2026The report found that racist and dehumanising content targeted South Asians across national religious and ethnic identities with Indians Pakistanis Bangladeshis Sikhs Hindus and Muslims frequently subjected to interchangeable stereotypesAurora mayor Illinois governor condemn alleged plotAurora Mayor John Laesch expressed concern over reports that members of a Hindu temple had been targeted saying no one should feel threatened or unsafe for practising their faith or attending a place of worshipLaesch also acknowledged the role of the individual who alerted authorities and the law enforcement agencies that responded to the threat expressing solidarity with the temple and the wider Hindu communityIllinois Governor JB Pritzker also condemned the alleged plot calling for the protection of Indian Americans and people of all faiths He reiterated that hate had no place in IllinoisThe investigation and subsequent legal proceedings will establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged plot and the charges against the accusedIndiaUS talks scheduled for October 20The MEAs remarks come ahead of a scheduled meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on October 20 Jaishankar is also scheduled to attend a celebration marking the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States as the Guest of HonourSeparately Jaishankar will host UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Mumbai on October 19 and 20 for an official visitWith ANI inputs