Washington DC [US], October 20 (ANI): US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has called on federal authorities to strengthen efforts to combat domestic violent extremism and address intelligence resource gaps following a foiled neo-Nazi plot targeting a Hindu temple where he and his family were worshipping, stressing that minority communities “should not have to rely on luck” for their safety.
A 19-year-old, identified as Alexandros Paporakis, was arrested for allegedly making a terrorist threat and unlawful possession of a weapon after he allegedly plotted a mass shooting targeting the Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Temple in Aurora, near Chicago.
Reflecting on the incident, Krishnamoorthi said that he and his family would continue visiting the temple and practising their faith despite the alleged threat. He emphasised that worshippers should not be intimidated into changing their religious beliefs or practices.
“We’re going to go back. We’re going to go back over and over again,” Krishnamoorthi told ANI. “We’re not going to change the way that we pray or we practice our religious beliefs… Because the attackers want us to change who we are, and we cannot yield to either them or yield to fear.”
He stressed that every American should be able to practise their religion freely, irrespective of their faith or ethnic background.
He emphasised that every American “needs to be who they are, be comfortable in their own skin, should practice their religion as they see fit, regardless of who they are—whether they are Hindus, or Sikhs, or Jews, or Muslims, or Christians, of Indian descent or any descent.”
Addressing reports that prosecutors believe the neo-Nazi suspect planned the attack for nearly two years, Krishnamoorthi warned that critical warning signs were almost certainly overlooked due to resource misallocations within domestic intelligence agencies.
“Almost certainly there were clues that were missed,” Krishnamoorthi stated. “I think part of the problem or challenge here is that I don’t think that at the FBI, for instance, which is really charged with detecting threats to the homeland, including domestic violent extremism, such as what we saw with this neo-Nazi, are really devoting the resources necessary to uncovering these plots and foiling them in time.”
Highlighting how narrow the margin was between safety and tragedy, the lawmaker pointed out that disaster was avoided only through a series of unexpected occurrences.
“In this particular case, multiple miracles happened, including the jamming of the shooter’s gun, the fact that this guy, you know, told his colleagues or co-workers at Taco Bell what he was going to do, and then this person reporting it to the police,” he explained. “We should not have to rely on luck. And yet right now, unfortunately, because the FBI is not focused on these real threats, you know, I fear that one of these plots is going to unfold again and it’ll be too late before we discover it.”
Krishnamoorthi also called for more detailed data collection on hate crimes targeting minority communities, arguing that better information was necessary to identify patterns and develop effective prevention measures.
“The data with regard to subgroups who are victims of these hate crimes is not really measured in the granular fashion necessary to prevent them. You cannot stop what you don’t measure,” Krishnamoorthi declared. “And that is the case here. We cannot stop these hate crimes from unfolding if we don’t measure what’s actually happening right now, and we take steps to address it, and we see decreases in those statistics.”
He confirmed that he is officially calling on the FBI to “disaggregate the data” and track hate crimes and alleged terrorist plots on a subgroup basis.
When asked if he had received outreach from the White House or federal administration leadership following the incident, Krishnamoorthi expressed disappointment at the official response, warning against divisive rhetoric.
“No. And I think that’s part of the problem,” Krishnamoorthi noted. “I think the silence on the part of the government, or worse, maybe the White House or the Trump administration fanning the flames of anti-Indian rhetoric is part of the problem.”
Calling for a collective stand against targeted extremism, the Congressman urged leaders across the political spectrum to unite against discrimination.
“As far as unity, we absolutely have to muster unity against hate of all forms, whether it’s directed at Hindus, or Muslims, or Sikhs, or Jews, or Christians, and regardless of the descent of the person in question,” Krishnamoorthi concluded. “And so that is one of the messages that I hope goes out, you know, from this particular terrorist plot: that we have to stand together against hate of all kinds.”
Earlier, in a post on X, Krishnamoorthi called for collective action against anti-Indian hatred and white supremacy, expressing gratitude to those who alerted the police and helped prevent a potential tragedy.
“My family and I were worshipping at our Hindu temple in Aurora on Sunday when a white supremacist attempted a mass shooting targeting Indian Americans. I’m grateful to those who helped prevent a tragedy, but we must come together to confront the hatred that put so many innocent lives at risk,” he said.
He also thanked the suspect’s co-workers for alerting law enforcement and commended the officers who intervened.
Meanwhile, co-chairs of the US India Caucus, Ro Khanna and Rich McCormick, condemned the alleged attempted mass shooting and urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)to address what they described as “growing threats and hostility directed at Hindu Americans and Indian Americans”.
Ro Khanna and Rich McCormick demanded that the DOJ and the FBI investigate the case as “a potential federal hate crime and bring all charges supported by the evidence,” and determine whether anyone encouraged, assisted, or coordinated with the defendant, online or offline.
Meanwhile, India has also expressed deep concern over the incident.
Addressing a media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “This is obviously a matter of deep concern for us. At the same time, it is something that shows or highlights the increasing cases of hate crimes and racial discrimination against the Indian communities in the United States.” (ANI)
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