Key Points:
Alexander Duncan sparked outrage after calling the 90-foot Hanuman statue in Texas, a “false god”
The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) and netizens strongly condemned Duncan’s remarks as anti-Hindu and discriminatory
The Hanuman Statue, also known as the Statue of Union, unveiled in 2024, is among the tallest Hindu deity statues in the U.S.
A Republican politician has sparked outrage over his controversial comments on the Hindu deity Hanuman. Alexander Duncan, a candidate for the Texas Senate, has caused outrage among the Hindu community over his controversial remark on the Hanuman statue.
Duncan stated the comment in an X post on 20 September, 2025. He shared a video clip of the 90-foot statue of Lord Hanuman situated at Shri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Texas, USA.
See Also: Celebrating the Freedom of Religion
Duncan referred to the Hindu god and his statue as “false.” “Why are we allowing a false statue of a false Hindu God to be here in Texas?” wrote Duncan . He further stated, “we are a CHRISTIAN nation!” His comment section got flooded with criticism for his anti-Hindu comments.
In a recent post, Duncan explained his remarks by attaching an article from Times of India. He wrote, “I'm just calling it what it is, an IDOL.” The Republican leader quoted the Bible in the same X post, which said, “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.
His statement welcomed backlash from all over the internet, including the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), a non-profit advocacy group of the Hindu American community.
They stated that Duncan’s comments are anti-Hindu and inflammatory. In an X post, HAF tagged the Texas GOP and asked them to discipline their Senate candidate, who has defied their own rules by writing anti-Hindu comments. They also reported the incident to the Republican Party of Texas and requested them to take immediate action.
HAF wrote, “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?”
Netizens condemned the Republican leader by pointing towards the religious diversity India has in comparison to America. One user wrote on X how they have never called Jesus a “false god” and mentioned the 42-foot-tall statue of Jesus in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh. Another user requested Duncan to visit India and explore the diversity the country has to offer. The user further told Duncan to visit the churches, as India has more than 28,278 churches.
With many users coming to Duncan’s defense, several reminded the leader that the Constitution of the USA gives the freedom to practise any religion. An X user stated that the Vedas were written thousands of years ago and that their influence has made a slight impression on Christianity as well. The comment read, “And there's obvious influences on Christianity...so it would be wise to honour and research the 'religion' that predates and influences yours.”
The Hanuman statue, also known as the Statue of Union, is one of the tallest statues of a Hindu deity in the United States. It was unveiled in 2024, it stands 90 feet high. The statue is named after Hanuman’s role in uniting Lord Rama and Sita.
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