'False Hindu God': Republican Leader Alexander Duncan Faces Criticism For Controversial Post On Lord Hanuman Statue In Texas

Texas: A Texas Republican leader sparked a row with his controversial statement about a Hindu god. Alexander Duncan called Lord Hanuman a "false god". Duncan's remarks on a statue of Lord Hanuman in Sugar Land in Texas, drew flak from Hindus living in the United States.

In an X post, the Republican leader wrote, "Why are we allowing a false statue of a false Hindu God to be here in Texas? We are a CHRISTIAN nation!"

Condemning Duncan's remarks, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), called them "anti-Hindu and inflammatory". The HAF also asked the Republican Party to discipline its leader.

"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," the HAF wrote on X. Notably, Duncan is a Republican Party's senate candidate.

Netizens' Reaction:

"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 U.S. constitution," one of the X users wrote.

"What do you mean by 'false Hindu god'. All gods are equally false. I understand you dislike having foreign symbols build up like that, but do not portray others gods as being more false than yours, that is preposterous," another user commented.

"Just because you’re not Hindu, doesn’t make it false. The Vedas were written almost 2000 years before Jesus walked the earth and are extraordinary texts. And there’s obvious influences on Christianity…so it would be wise to honor and research the ‘religion’ that predates and influences yours," an X user said.

Duncan's Response to Criticism:

The Republican Senate candidate quoted verses from The Bible to reply to his critics. "I'm just calling it what it is, an IDOL. "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 "They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen." Romans 1:25," he wrote.

In another X post, Duncan asked Americans to "preserve" Western culture.

Unveiled in 2024, the 'Statue of Union' is a 90-foot statue of Lord Hanuman. It is located at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land in Texas.