Key Points:
The US Department of Justice closed its probe into the BAPS temple in New Jersey.
The CoHNA welcomed the decision, saying the temple was unfairly targeted by false allegations, sensational media coverage, and activists linking Hinduism with oppression.
CoHNA criticized outlets like The New York Times and The Trentonian for amplifying unproven claims.
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has officially ended its investigation of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) temple in Robbinsville, New Jersey, USA. The investigation followed allegations of “caste discrimination” and worker exploitation against the temple.
The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), a civil rights organization based in North America, welcomed the DOJ’s decision to end the investigation.
The DOJ began its investigation after a widely reported raid at the BAPS temple in 2021. This probe led a federal court to put the civil litigation on hold the same year.
In May 2021, several plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against the BAPS temple, alleging violations of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and related laws.
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In a press release, CoHNA stated that the temple faced false allegations and became the target of “coordinated efforts” to portray Hindu institutions and Hindus as oppressive. They said these efforts aimed to depict them as “inherently dangerous to American values.”
CoHNA further noted that although the allegations were unproven in any court of law, many media outlets repeated the claims without checking the facts. While the FBI raid was ongoing, The New York Times published an article with the headline, “Hindu Sect is Accused of Forced Labor to Build N.J. Temple.” The press release also highlighted how some media outlets attempted to sensationalize the news.
“The Trentonian sensationalized the episode, referring to it as ‘The Temple of Doom,’ reviving tired Hinduphobic tropes from the 1980s Indiana Jones franchise,” the statement read.
The CoHNA statement also pointed to organizations that used the opportunity to attack the institution and Hindus. It named academic activists such as Audrey Truschke and Suraj Yengde, who made provocative remarks. According to the press release, some activists also tried to link Hinduism with slavery and oppression.
Nikunj Trivedi, president of CoHNA, said in his statement that the DOJ closing the investigation proves that truth always prevails. “But who will repair the damage once reputations are destroyed?” asked Trivedi.
He further said, “The Hindu community refuses to be the perpetual scapegoat for imported debates that have nothing to do with American realities.” Trivedi also made a demand to the media outlets and policymakers.
“We demand that media and policymakers engage with Hindu voices directly, instead of relying on activists whose sole agenda is to divide and defame,” stated Nikunj Trivedi, president of CoHNA. In its press release, CoHNA demanded that all media organizations that rushed to conclusions “must publish corrections.”
Now that the DOJ investigation of the BAPS temple has concluded, the court has lifted the hold on the civil case. Lawyers for the BAPS temple said they will work with the plaintiffs’ attorneys to decide the next steps together. [Rh/VS]
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