US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has warned that escalating anti-Indian rhetoric in the United States is crossing into real-world violence, pointing to an alleged armed attack on a Hindu temple near Chicago on 11 October as proof that inflammatory political discourse is claiming physical targets. The Illinois lawmaker also questioned why the FBI failed to detect what investigators describe as a two-year plot to attack the Balaji temple.

The temple attack: What happened

According to Krishnamoorthi, a gunman armed with an AR-15-style weapon and more than 300 rounds of ammunition opened fire outside the Balaji temple on 11 October, during Navaratri celebrations. The congressman said the weapon jammed after a single shot, preventing what he described as a potential massacre.

'Numerous families were celebrating Navaratri inside the Balaji temple, including my own,' Krishnamoorthi said. 'And little did we know that a gunman was outside, with an AR-15 style weapon and more than 300 rounds of ammunition, ready to commit a massacre.'

He confirmed the suspect faces weapons-related charges and an alleged terrorism-related offence. Investigators are reportedly pursuing the case, though Krishnamoorthi argued that federal authorities are not devoting sufficient resources to domestic violent extremism.

FBI silence draws sharp criticism

Krishnamoorthi said he had formally demanded a federal investigation, including a federal hate crime probe and an examination of the suspect's online influences and radicalisation pathway — but had received no response from the FBI as of the time of his interview.

'No, we have not received a response yet,' he said. Asked to explain the apparent silence of FBI Director Kash Patel, the congressman said: 'I don't know. You're gonna have to ask him.'

Notably, Krishnamoorthi also criticised fellow lawmakers who had not publicly condemned the incident. 'When you're silent, it almost can be viewed as condoning what happened,' he said. He called on political leaders across party lines to condemn hatred directed at all communities, including Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Christians and Sikhs.

Political rhetoric blamed for fanning hostility

The congressman accused influential figures at the highest levels of US politics of encouraging divisive rhetoric against Indians and other Asian-origin communities. He cited a candidate he identified as Bo French, described as a MAGA-aligned candidate from Texas, who had reportedly portrayed Indian-origin children at a football game as foreigners displacing Americans.

Krishnamoorthi argued that many of those children were born in Texas, and that the remarks reflected racial prejudice rather than legitimate immigration concerns.

He also criticised a subsequent US Department of Education social media post featuring white spectators at a University of Texas football game, captioned 'Make college football great again' — which he alleged amplified the same sentiment. 'That type of fanning of the flames only makes the rhetoric stronger, more insidious, and it just takes one person to act on it,' he warned. 'That's what we're seeing right now — rhetoric is becoming violence.'

Why the two-year plot went undetected

A central question raised by Krishnamoorthi is how a plot allegedly in development for two years escaped detection by federal law enforcement. He said domestic violent extremism — particularly threats targeting minority religious communities — is receiving inadequate attention and resources from the FBI.

'They are not spending enough resources on uncovering domestic violent extremism, including what happened here,' he said. His remarks reflect broader concerns within Indian-American communities over religious intolerance, racial hostility, and the security of places of worship across the United States. All eyes are now on whether the FBI responds to Krishnamoorthi's formal request and whether federal hate crime charges follow.