Days after violence erupted in the UK city of Leicester, around 200 people have attacked a Hindu temple in nearby Smethwick in England's West Midlands.
The Durga Bhawan Hindu Centre temple is located on the town's Spon Lane. As per the Birmingham World, social media account Apna Muslims called for a “peaceful protest” outside the temple on Tuesday. The protest quickly turned violent, however, with videos from the scene going viral on Wednesday in which the vandals were heard chanting “Allahu Akbar”.
Another Hindu temple was vandalized and a saffron flag symbolizing Hindu faith desecrated on Saturday in Leicester, which had also seen violent clashes between Hindu and Muslim youths after the India-Pakistan match held on August 28.
In a statement issued after the Leicester incident, the Indian High Commission in London condemned the violence against the Indian community and called for protection for those affected.
Meanwhile, leaders of Hindu and Muslim communities also gathered on Tuesday on the steps of a mosque in Leicester and issued a joint statement urging calm, peace and harmony. They also called for an immediate end to "provocation and violence".