We commend U.S. authorities for thoroughly investigating and clearing the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) temple in Robbinsville, New Jersey, in the 2021 labor discrimination case and caste exploitation case. By 2023, plaintiffs withdrew their claims (allegedly paid less than $1 USD per hour, and forced to work up to 90 hours per week, exploited the workers’ caste position), admitting coercion or bribes, and no charges were filed by 2025, proving the allegations were baseless.
This incident highlights a troubling wave of anti-Hindu hate in the USA and Canada, fueled by activist groups like Equality Labs, Hindus for Human Rights (H4HR), the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), and the Ambedkar King Study Circle (AKSC). These organizations, under the guise of fighting caste discrimination, portray Hinduism as synonymous with casteism, fostering an environment that has led to temple vandalism and attacks.
These groups spread a narrative that Hinduism is inherently casteist, claiming it perpetuates inequality. Equality Labs releases reports, such as their 2018 caste survey (which has been shown to have data and methodology issues ), asserting widespread caste discrimination among American Hindus, blaming “upper-caste” traditions. H4HR claims Hinduism supports “caste oppression” and links it to “Hindutva,” a term they label as dangerous Hindu nationalism.
They’ve supported events like the 2021 Dismantling Global Hindutva conference (calling for the destruction of Hinduism ) and the Holi Against Hindutva campaign, turning the Hindu festival into a protest against “Hindu supremacy IAMC labels Hindu groups as “extremist” and ties them to India’s government to portray them as threats. AKSC hosts events like “Resist Brahminism and Hindutva” and has opposed fair portrayals of Hinduism in California school textbooks, arguing they obscure caste issues.
By falsely equating Hinduism with caste, these groups ignore its teachings of unity, such as “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the world is one family), casting all Hindus as part of an oppressive system.
This narrative has caused real-world harm to HinduAmericans and their interests. This has also empowered extremists, including Khalistan separatists (advocating for a Sikh homeland), to attack Hindu temples.
In Canada, hate crimes against South Asians surged 143% from 2019 to 2022, with temples frequently targeted. In November 2024, pro-Khalistani protesters attacked Brampton’s Hindu Sabha Mandir, leading to violence and injuries. In April 2025, Surrey’s Shree Lakshmi Narayan Mandir was defaced with “Khalistan” graffiti, shortly after a nearby Sikh temple promoting Hindu-Sikh unity was targeted.
In the USA, California alone reported eight anti-Hindu hate crimes in 2023, including vandalism at BAPS temples in Newark and Sacramento with slogans like “Hindus go back.” In March 2025, Chino Hills’ BAPS temple was defaced with “MODI=Hitler” graffiti, linked to Sikhs for Justice’s “Khalistan referendum.” The FBI has noted a rise in such attacks, with social media in 2025 reflecting outrage over temple vandalism in Utah and Brampton.
According to the California Department of Justice’s 2024 Hate Crime Report, anti-Hindu incidents rose from seven in 2023 to ten in 2024, a 43% increase, marking the fourth consecutive year of growth. The state’s CA vs. Hate hotline, launched in 2023, recorded 24 verified anti-Hindu bias acts in its first year—23% of all religious hate reports—revealing the extent of underreported incidents.
The BAPS case exemplifies this danger. In 2021, the FBI, Homeland Security, and Labor Department raided the BAPS temple following a lawsuit alleging exploitation of low-caste workers. AKSC, H4HR, IAMC, and Equality Labs supported the lawsuit, claiming it exposed “Hindu caste apartheid”. A New York Times article, published the same day, described it as “near servitude” by a Hindu group.
By 2023, the workers dropped the case, admitting they were pressured or paid to make false claims, and no charges were filed by 2025 (FBI closed the case). This false narrative damaged BAPS’s reputation and encouraged further attacks, as subsequent temple vandalism echoed similar anti-Hindu rhetoric. The activists transformed a labor dispute into a broad assault on Hinduism, demonstrating the dangers of their caste-focused narrative.
Hindu temples and organizations must remain vigilant. The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) and Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) are actively countering these narratives, but all temples must contribute. By uniting, promoting Hinduism’s values of peace and unity, and promptly reporting hate crimes, Hindus need to be vigilant and report hate crimes promptly using the tools provided by the state and federal governments. Then only can we combat these falsehoods, ensuring that we can practice our faith safely.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Voice of Hindus. Any content provided by our contributors or authors is their opinion.
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