- Carlos Turcios, a Texas GOP leader, criticized a 90-foot Hanuman statue in Sugar Land, Texas
- The Panchaloha Abhaya Hanuman statue is the third-tallest in the US and unveiled in 2024
- Turcios's remarks sparked backlash accusing him of xenophobia and misunderstanding of Hinduism
A Texas Republican leader has come under fire over his remarks on a 90-foot statue of Lord Hanuman—known as the 'Statue of Union'—in the US city. MAGA (Make America Great Again) activist Carlos Turcios, a Republican leader from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, shared a video of the statue of Lord Hanuman at the Shri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Texas, on social media, claiming "aliens" from the "third world" are taking Texas and America and urging people to "stop the invasion."
"This is not Islamabad, Pakistan, or New Delhi, India. This is Sugar Land, Texas. Third World aliens are slowly taking over Texas and America. Why is the third-largest statue in the US this??! Stop the INVASION," he wrote in a post on X.
About The Statue
Unveiled in 2024, the statue, known as the Panchaloha Abhaya Hanuman, is one of the tallest Hindu monuments in the United States. It was envisioned by Sri Chinnajeeyar Swamiji and is the third-tallest statue in the United States. Temple officials describe it as a symbol of strength, devotion, and a "spiritual epicenter" for peace.
Row Over MAGA Activist's Remark
Turcios' statement triggered criticism online, with many social media users accusing him of promoting xenophobia and reminding him of immigrants' and faith communities' contributions to American society
An X user named Kartik Gada shared a chart of languages spoken in America. "There are 41M households that speak Spanish in the US. Yet there are no Indian languages in the top 10. Since household language is the strongest indicator of assimilation, you have a long way to go before your group is anywhere near the assimilation level of Indian-Americans," he wrote.
"When an Indian language has more speakers in the US than Spanish speakers, then we will evaluate whether you have earned the right to call yourself assimilated. In the meantime, I advise you to be more humble and to learn more about America," the post added.
Another microblogger named Adelle Nazarian wrote, "No, Carlos. Hindus in Texas are not a threat to Western civilization. But you're too racist and remarkably DENSE to have even bothered studying Hinduism to understand that proselytization is rejected in the faith. It's radical Islam you should be complaining about. Get a grip."
A third user named Nuri Sunnah wrote, "This statue is located at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Texas. It has been there for like a year and a half. The Hindus who frequent this temple have a right to worship in this land. Their statue isn't bothering you. If you don't like it, don't look at it."
MAGA Criticism Of The Statue
Earlier, Texas Republican Alexander Duncan objected to the construction of the statue of the Hindu deity.
"Why are we allowing a false statue of a false Hindu God to be here in Texas? We are a CHRISTIAN nation," Duncan wrote on X last year, along with the video of the statue located at Shri Ashtalakshmi Temple.
