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Texas leader labels Hindu deity’s statue as “false god”
The Texas Republican leader’s comment has ignited a backlash over intolerance claims on social media platforms.
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Staff Reporter - Tue, 23, Sep 2025
- 15:14 EDT
- 34
L - Alexander Duncan, Republican leader; R - Statue of Hindu deity Hanuman in Texas / X
A controversy has erupted after Texas Republican Alexander Duncan criticized the erection of a 90-foot statue of the Hindu deity Hanuman—known as the “Statue of Union”—at the Shri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land.
Duncan posted on X that the United States is “a CHRISTIAN nation” and asked, “Why are we allowing a false statue of a false Hindu god to be here in Texas?”
He also quoted Biblical scripture, citing Exodus 20:3-4: “You must not have any other god but me. You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind…” to reinforce his stance in another post.
The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) strongly denounced Duncan’s remarks, calling them “anti-Hindu and inflammatory.” They have formally reported the statements to the Texas Republican Party, urging disciplinary action.
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? https://t.co/5LItlu7Zu2 pic.twitter.com/oqZkZozUBR
— Hindu American Foundation (@HinduAmerican) September 22, 2025
Also Read: Jenifer Rajkumar amplifies Hindu advocacy amid Mamdani criticism
Other users, including HinduPACT AHAD - American Hindus Against Defamation, weighed in online, defending the religious legitimacy of Hinduism. An X user, Jordan Crowder, reminded the public: “Just because you're not Hindu, doesn't make it false…” They also highlighted the antiquity of the Vedas, noting they predate many Christian texts, and urged respect for beliefs that predate or influence others.
@AlexDuncanTX - as an American you should read what Thomas Jefferson wrote:
— HinduPACT AHAD -American Hindus Against Defamation (@AHADHindu) September 23, 2025
I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free… https://t.co/NhI0inEs5A
Unveiled in 2024, the “Statue of Union” is one of the tallest Hindu monuments in the U.S., envisioned by Sri Chinnajeeyar Swami. It ranks as the third-tallest statue in the country.
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