The Statue of Union at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Texas is said to be the tallest Hanuman statue in North America. | Photo: X
‘False Hindu God’ remark on Hanuman statue sparks backlash against Republican leader
Senate candidate Alexander Duncan criticised the new 90-foot Hanuman statue in Texas, calling the US a ‘Christian nation’ and drawing flak from Indian-Americans
A leader in the Republican Party in Texas, Alexander Duncan, has sparked a huge row in the US with his controversial remarks against the construction of a 90-foot statue of Lord Hanuman, the “Statue of Union”, in Texas.
Duncan wrote on X, “Why are we allowing a false statue of a false Hindu God to be here in Texas? We are a CHRISTIAN nation!”
The politician, who is running for election to the Senate to represent Texas, followed it up with a quotation from the Bible, “You must not have any other God but me. You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. Exodus 20: 3-4.”
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Fierce backlash
Duncan’s posts on X received a fierce backlash from Indian-Americans and the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), who called his remarks “anti-Hindu and inflammatory”.
HAF addressed the Republican Party with a post on X, “Hello @TexasGOP, will you be disciplining your senate candidate from your party who openly contravenes your own guidelines against discrimination – displaying some pretty sordid anti-Hindu hate – not to mention disrespect for the 1st Amendment’s Establishment Clause?”
Several others reminded Duncan that the US Constitution gives them the freedom to practise any religion.
One of them wrote, “We are a nation full of people who hold different religious beliefs. It’s called freedom of religion. If the followers of a religion are not harming or oppressing others, then their religion is protected under our US Constitution.”
A US-based entrepreneur Tapesh Yadav posted on X, “As a citizen who almost always votes Republican, it is troubling to see Duncan is violating the TexasGOP ‘freedom’ and ‘opportunity for all’ conservative principles.”
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Statue of Union
The Statue of Union at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Texas is said to be the tallest Hanuman statue in North America.
It was Sri Chinnajeeyar Swamiji who came up with the idea of the Statue of Union, and the statue was unveiled on August 18, 2024.
Its name signifies Lord Hanuman’s role in uniting Lord Ram with Sita, and the statue aims to serve as a spiritual hub for devotees.