A 90-foot statue of Lord Hanuman in Texas became a focal point of political debate after a conservative YouTuber called for its removal, prompting a strong backlash from Hindu groups and thinkers alike.The Statue of the Union, installed at the Asthalaxmi Temple in Sugarland, Texas, has been at the centre of a controversy since its consecration in August 2024, with a section of Christian conservatives describing it as “unChristian”.”Btw, when we win, we are tearing this down,” YouTuber Jesse Hughes said, sharing a photograph of the statue.Ruchir Bakshi, a US Army veteran, described the remarks by Hughes as unpatriotic and a “threat against Hinduism”.”It is a threat against Hinduism itself to vandalise another American community’s house of worship because you hate the faith inside it,” Bakshi said, describing himself as an American-Hindu who is concerned about anti-Hindu hate in the US.”If winning in America means demolishing Hindu temples, you don’t want the country I fought for. You just want a licence to go after people who aren’t you,” he said.Bakshi got support from the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) and Carl Wheless, a US Army veteran based in Texas who describes himself as a political commentator.”We share your horror at the open religious bigotry being mainstreamed on this platform and are proud to fight it alongside you,” CoHNA said in a post on X.The anti-immigrant narrative has been a recurring theme in the midterm election campaign in Texas, which is home to more than five lakh Indian-Americans.The Indian-American community in Texas was at the centre of the political discourse when a Republican candidate running for public office made racist comments at students of South Asian descent celebrating a football game win in the state.Bo French, the nominee for the Texas Railroad Commissioner, shared a photograph of the student celebrations and wrote that he had heard “UT graduation this year looked like this” and added that “the problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined”.”Right-wing Republicans are repeatedly using derogatory slurs in a casual manner,” Hakeem Jeffries, House Democratic Leader, said in a statement last week.Republican Senator John Cornyn condemned French’s post, asking whether other Republican officials would denounce what he described as intolerance and racism.Texas Republican lawmakers, including Lacey Hull and Jared Patterson, also criticised the post.French later defended his remarks and argued that the University of Texas’ admissions practices disadvantaged Texans.Republicans have held sway over Texas, and the Democrats are hoping for a flip in the Senate elections this November.Democratic nominee James Talarico is shown to be gaining an advantage against US President Donald Trump-backed Republican nominee Ken Paxton in the Senate elections, according to various prediction markets and election forecasters.However, for the post of the Texas Governor, incumbent Republican Greg Abbott is projected to retain the seat.