The first Hindu to be elected to the US Congress, Tulsi Gabbard, was  targeted for her Hindu faith by her Republican opponent, who called her 'devil' in the Congressional elections. The comment prompted sharp reactions from the Hindu-American community members.

The Democratic Representative Gabbard (35) is seeking her third-term re-election from Hawaii against Republican candidate Angela Kaaihue.

In the last week, Kaaihue described support to her as "worship(ping) the devil" and called the Democratic Party the "Devil Democratic State."

Kaaihue alleged in a Facebook post, that, "Some Christians say, a vote for Tulsi Gabbard is a vote for Satan, the devil do you agree or disagree?"  

The chairman of Kaaihue's party also condemned the attack, calling it "vulgar" and "religiously intolerant".

Fritz Rohlfing, chairman of the Hawaii Republican Party, said that, "Her vulgar, racially bigoted, and religiously intolerant descriptions of Democratic Party candidates are offensive, shameful and unacceptable in public discourse."

Sandeep Dedage, director Hindu Education Foundation USA (HEF), alleged that, "Attacks on Congresswoman Gabbard, especially on her Hindu faith, are a reflection of religious prejudices that originate from an impoverished view of a religion and culture that is practiced by nearly one sixth of the world's population."

"It's shocking that in 2016 any political candidate in the US faces such absurdly ignorant and bigoted personal attacks on their Constitutionally guaranteed right to practice the faith of their choice," said Rishi Bhutada, Hindu American Foundation board member.

"Furthermore, these attacks clearly show that Hinduphobia and religious bigotry is very much alive and kicking in the United States, even if not all incidents of Hindu phobia are so direct and open as what we've seen here," he said.

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Nandini