India urges US to protect nationals after foiled Illinois temple attack plot

India has asked the US to provide safety and security to Indian citizens after the US authorities thwarted a purported plot to mass-shoot a Hindu temple in Illinois, labelling the incident as “deep concern”.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made the comments on Friday after a 19-year-old man was detained over an alleged conspiracy to attack the Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple in Aurora, near Chicago, Reuters reported.

“We have noted the action taken by the US law enforcement agencies following the incident but call upon the US side to take steps to ensure the safety, security and well-being of Indian citizens in the US,” Jaiswal said.

The accused – Alexandros Paporakis – was also charged with issuing a terrorist threat and prohibited possession of a firearm. Police say the man intended to attack the temple and had expressed hatred for Indian people and white supremacy.

The purported attack was foiled after the weapon of the alleged attacker was reported to have backfired. Reports say that investigators were notified of the threatening email by a colleague.

“We are seeing this is a concern of hate crime and racial discrimination in our community,” Jaiswal told.

India appealed to the US to thoroughly investigate the matter, bring the culprits to book and take steps to prevent recurrence of such incidents.