Fear strikes as temple showered in bullets
Leesha Mckenny Religious Affairs
March 30, 2011

THE bullet holes can still be seen on the exterior of Auburn's Sri Mandir Temple.
Less visible are the marks left by the shot that made its way inside Australia's first Hindu temple, when it was peppered by about eight rounds.
The bullet ricocheted from the roof and hit the carpet - not far from a scorch mark left by a firework once thrown through the doors opened for worshippers, who are now protected from the frequently hurled bottles and eggs by a metal screen.
Two men in balaclavas were captured firing the shots on the night of March 19 by the temple's CCTV cameras. A police spokeswoman said detectives were working closely with the community as part of investigations into the incident.
The president of the Council of Indian Australians, Yadu Singh, said the shooting was a sign that attacks on the temple were becoming more serious.
There were no worshippers in the building at the time of the shooting - unlike an incident last November when two windows were smashed by people armed with metal bars.
''The bottom line is that something needs to be done, because it is not a one-off,'' he said.
''We have a right to exist; we have a right to practise our religion.''
The temple's priest, Jatinkumar Bhatt, who lives on the site, said he had been harassed by youths in the past but he was scared by the shooting. ''I have a family as well, three kids and my wife,'' he said. ''Throwing eggs and bottles is an ongoing process but this bullet really put us in a panic.''
A Granville resident, Yogesh Heer, who was in the temple when it was attacked in November, said he was contacted by a concerned family in India when news of the shooting made the country's press. Indian nationals Vijaya Patel and her husband Kanti Lal Patel, who have been attending the temple every day during their visit with Sydney relatives, said they were surprised and insulted by the attack.
The 35-year-old temple hosted an interfaith meeting attended by the Member for Auburn, Barbara Perry, as well as local Muslim and Christian groups earlier this month. The building was shot up about 10 days later.
Ms Perry said the Hindu temple was well respected in Auburn.
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/fear-strikes-as-temple-showered-in-bullets-20110329-1c...

Mebbe it wasn't the Mozzies. The SMH arricle doesn't spell it out so one must keep an open mind [ahem].

It may very well have been the notorious local Danish Lutheran tough eggs.