The Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Boronia, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, was vandalised with racist graffiti this week, sparking widespread public outrage and a police investigation. As reported by the Australia Today, two other Asian Australian restaurants in the area were defaced with the same offensive message.

Authorities confirmed that four sites were targeted and believe the incidents are connected.

The words “Go Home” were spray-painted in red on the temple walls on Wadhurst Drive, two restaurants on Boronia Road, and a healing centre on Mountain Highway, all on the same night.

Victoria Police confirmed the incidents and said the investigation is ongoing. “Police are investigating following reports of graffiti in Bayswater and Boronia on 21 July,” a police spokesperson told Australia Today. “There is no room whatsoever in our society for racist and hate-based behaviour.” Officers said the graffiti was first discovered at the healing centre, then the temple around 9:30 am, followed by the two restaurants. Investigators are treating all four acts as related.

Makrand Bhagwat, President of the Victoria chapter of the Hindu Council of Australia, strongly condemned the attack. “Our temple is supposed to be a place of peace, devotion and harmony,” he said. “To have it targeted in such a manner is seen as an attack on our identity, our religious freedom of worship and right to worship.” The temple hosts daily prayers, communal meals and festivals, drawing people from across Melbourne.

Although Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan has not made a public statement, she reportedly sent a letter of support to the temple. “The Shree Swaminarayan Temple is so much more than a house of worship – it's a house of warmth and community,” Allan said in the message, quoted by Australia Today. “What transpired this week was hateful, racist and greatly disturbing. It wasn’t merely vandalism – it was an intentional act of hate, intended to intimidate, isolate, and incite fear.”

She continued, “It was an attack on your right to feel safe and to belong, and on the values that bind us together. There’s no place for it anywhere in Victoria. And it must be called out for what it is.” Allan added that local MP Jackson Taylor is involved and that the Minister for Multicultural Affairs would soon visit the temple. “We stand alongside you, with respect and unconditional support,” she concluded.

In response, members of the Hindu community have called on interfaith groups to unite in solidarity. “We want to prove that love and solidarity conquer hate,” said Vikrant Thakur, a community representative. The City of Greater Knox Multifaith Network also expressed its support.

Just two days before the vandalism, 23-year-old Indian student Charanpreet Singh was brutally attacked in Adelaide. Reports say the assault followed a dispute over parking. “They just said ‘f--- off, Indian’, and then they just began punching,” Singh told 9News. “I tried fighting back, but they kept beating me until I became unconscious.”

Singh was hospitalised with serious injuries, including facial fractures and head trauma. One 20-year-old suspect has been arrested, and others remain at large.

Police in both Victoria and South Australia have increased patrolling in the affected areas. Investigations into both the Adelaide assault and the Melbourne vandalism are ongoing. Authorities have asked the public to stay alert and assist police with any information.