Hindu sentiments outraged as American Christian politician denigrates idol of revered Hindu deity in Texas
Texas, United States 
24 January, 2026
Case Summary
In Texas, United States of America, in a blatant act of anti-Hindu hatred, a revered Hindu deity was mocked and ridiculed as an "abomination," "demonic," and "false god" by a Republican politician, Alexander Duncan, a Christian by faith. The accused is the Republican Senate candidate from Texas. On 25 January 2026, the accused published an X post sharing a picture of the 90-foot statue of Lord Hanuman at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Texas. He denigrated this statue by writing, "This abomination is here in Texas! We need to get rid of all these demonic false god idols. We need to preserve our Christian nation and State." His remarks reflected a dangerous trend of normalising anti-Hindu hostility in American socio-political discourse. The post quickly garnered over 226.8K views and 5300+ likes, reflecting the disturbing normalisation of Hinduphobia in institutional circles. Notably, this was not the first time the accused made such anti-Hindu remarks. The Hinduphobia Tracker recorded previously two other instances where he similarly abused and denigrated Hindu gods. First, in September 2025, he denigrated Lord Hanuman's Texas idol as a 'false god' and derogatorily referred to it as 'idols'. Similarly, in November 2025, the accused denigrated the idol of Lord Murugan, a revered Hindu deity. This idol's construction was planned as part of a Hindu temple complex being built in Moncure, North Carolina. In this case, the accused called Lord Murugan a 'worthless false god' by quoting Biblical verses.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Hate Speech against Hindus. The subcategory selected is- Anti-Hindu slurs, mocking faith. Anti-Hindu slurs and the deliberate mocking of the Hindu faith owing to religious animosity involve the usage of derogatory terms, stereotypes, or offensive references to religious practices, symbols, or figures. One of the common anti-Hindu slurs used against Hindus is “cow-worshipper” and “cow piss drinker”. The intention of using this term is to demean and mock Hindus as a group and their religious beliefs since Hindus consider the cow holy. Additionally, some symbols and the slurs attached to them have a historical context that exacerbates the insult, hate, stereotyping, dehumanisation and oppression against Hindus. Cow worship has been used for centuries to denigrate Hindus, insult their faith and oppress Hindus specifically as a religious group. There has been overwhelming documentation about how cow slaughter has been used to persecute Hindus with cow meat being thrown in temples and places of worship. There has also been overwhelming documentation where cow meat (beef) has been force-fed to Hindus to either forcefully convert them to Islam or denigrate their faith. Apart from cow worship, the Swastika – which holds deep religious significance for the Hindus – has also been misinterpreted and distorted to use as a slur against Hindus. Similarly, the worship of the Shivling has been used by supremacist ideologies and religions to denigrate Hindus owing to religious animosity. Such slurs and denigration stem out of inherent animosity and hate towards Hindus and their faith, therefore, it is categorised as hate speech targeted at Hindus specifically owing to their religious identity. This case is a clear instance of anti-Hindu hate speech as the Christian politician Alexander Duncan mocked and denigrated the 90-foot statue of Lord Hanuman at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Texas, labelling it an "abomination," "demonic," and "false god idols." He targeted Hindus who worship and revere this idol, a sacred and central aspect of their faith, using these terms to attack the community directly. By ridiculing a revered Hindu deity as demonic and false, he insulted millions who see Lord Hanuman as a symbol of strength, devotion, and divine protection. This constituted religious intolerance aimed at belittling Hindus for their core beliefs. Duncan's remarks exposed profound prejudice and misunderstanding of Hinduism, where idols serve as consecrated mediums channeling divine presence rather than objects of worship themselves. Rituals transform statues like Lord Hanuman's into living manifestations of the deity, aiding devotees in prayer and spiritual focus. Calling this "demonic false god idols" dismissed these traditions with contempt, showcasing deliberate disrespect rooted in Christian supremacist views that deem Hindu practices inferior and unworthy. His call to "get rid of all these demonic false god idols" to "preserve our Christian nation and State" framed Hinduism as a threat to American Christian identity, implying Hindu sacred spaces had no place in the country. This exclusionary rhetoric sought to delegitimise the Hindu presence, stir hostility, and normalise discrimination against the Hindu community. The post's 226.8K views and 5300+ likes amplified this bigotry, fostering wider anti-Hindu sentiment. This formed part of Duncan's pattern of hostility, following his September 2025 attack on the same Hanuman statue and November 2025 denigration of Lord Murugan's planned idol in North Carolina as a "worthless false god." Repeatedly targeting Hindu deities revealed calculated religious animosity, not isolated comments. Such sustained prejudice qualified as religiously motivated hate speech designed to humiliate and marginalise Hindus. This rhetoric fuelled broader anti-Hindu intolerance by weaponising Christian identity against Hindu symbols, promoting division along religious lines. It normalised viewing Hindus as outsiders whose faith corrupted national values, inciting potential discrimination and violence. Therefore, this case is being added to the Hate Crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
