'We’re tearing this down…': MAGA activist's call to remove Texas Hanuman statue sparks backlash

Jesse Hughes, a YouTuber and MAGA activist, shared a photograph of the statue on X and wrote: “Btw, when we win, we are tearing this down.” A US conservative YouTuber has drawn backlash after calling for the removal of a 90-foot statue of Lord Hanuman in Texas, with his remarks coming ahead of the US midterm elections.The Statue of the Union, installed at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Texas (X/@JesseHughesNC)The Statue of the Union, installed at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Texas, has been at the centre of controversy since its consecration in August 2024. Jesse Hughes, a YouTuber and MAGA activist, shared a photograph of the statue on X and wrote: “Btw, when we win, we are tearing this down.”Users slam HughesHughes’ post drew criticism from several users on X, with some questioning his call to remove the statue and drawing comparisons with the treatment of churches in other countries.“I am sure you will have no problem if we start tearing down churches all over India followed by other countries, Right? So please do it as Christian rice bag conversion is spreading like pests in India and we need a good reason to crush it once and for all.”Ruchir Bakshi, who identifies himself as a US Army combat veteran and Hindu American, also criticised the Youtuber's remarks, saying he did not serve in the military so that someone could threaten his religion.“I’m a U.S. Army combat veteran and a Hindu American. I didn’t put on that uniform, leave my family, and go to war so some third-rate talk-show guy could announce that when his side ‘wins,’ they’re coming for my religion,” he wrote in a post on X.Bakshi also remembered fellow service members who lost their lives in the war, noting that he had served alongside people from different religious backgrounds, who did not get a chance to get back home.“I served with Christians, Jews, Muslims, atheists, and other Hindus. Nobody pulled rank on God before we went outside the wire. Some of those men never came home. None of them died so you could fantasize about ravaging someone else’s faith.”He went on to say that Hindu Americans are part of the same community and military that he served, and argued that their places of worship should not be targeted because of their faith.“The people who worship in those temples pay taxes, run businesses, and send their sons and daughters into the same Army I served in. ‘When we win, we are tearing this down’ is not patriotism. It is a threat against Hinduism itself to vandalize another American community’s house of worship because you hate the faith inside it.”Bakshi added that religious freedom should apply equally to Hindus and that political victories should not be used as justification for targeting another religious community.“If winning in America means demolishing Hindu temples, you don’t want the country I fought for. You just want a license to go after people who aren’t you. America is not your theocracy. Religious liberty does not expire for Hindus when you decide you’ve won. You don’t get to tear anything down. Not legally. Not morally. Not in the country for which I actually sacrificed.”Follow the latest breaking news, major developments and agenda-setting stories from India and around the world with the newsdesk at Hindustan Times. Operating round the clock, the desk brings together experienced editors, reporters and correspondents to deliver fast, accurate and contextual reporting across subjects that influence public policy, governance, business, society and international affairs. The HT News Desk covers politics, elections, government policies, the economy, business and markets, science and technology, the environment, law and order, infrastructure, education, climate issues and geopolitics, while closely tracking developments across states, institutions and global capitals. 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