The Hindu community in India and the United States was furious this week over remarks by Vice President JD Vance that he hoped his wife Usha Vance, who was born into a Hindu family and raised to value the religion, would eventually convert to her Catholic faith.
Controversy erupted earlier this week when JD Vance spoke at a ‘Turning Point USA’ event in Mississippi and was asked if his wife would “come to Christ.”
“Most Sundays now, Usha will go to church with me. As I told her and as I said publicly and as I will now say in front of 10,000 of my closest friends – I hope she will eventually be moved by the same thing that moved me in church? Yes, I sincerely hope so,” I said, because I believe my wife will eventually come to the Christian gospel, and I hope,
The video of Vance’s comments quickly went viral on social media and soon faced backlash from Hindus and the Hindu community.
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How did the Hindu community react to JD Vance’s comments?
JD Vance’s comments on Usha Vance’s religion drew immediate backlash from the Hindu community, with religious people saying the vice president was disrespecting his wife’s religion and values.
According to Suhag Shukla, executive director of the Hindu American Foundation, quoted by The New York Times, Vance’s remarks were “basically saying that my wife, this aspect of her is just not enough.”
“If you were some ordinary pastor, then whatever,” Shukla, who has criticized both Democrats and Republicans in the past, said, according to the paper.
“But he’s not the head pastor, he’s the vice president who wants to be president,” she added.
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Shukla said the comments come as “an added kind of fuel to these fears” of the Hindu community, which faces many “insecurities”.
Also on social media platforms, Hindu activists lambasted Vance for his comments and demanded an apology from him.
“We demand a full apology from VP JD Vance right now for insulting Indian Americans, Immigrants, Hindus, Multilingual Americans and even his own wife, his own children and in-laws, cousins. Apologize now. You are the VP. An absolute disgrace. You were born scum,” wrote a Hindu group X activist.
JD Vance faces backlash from the Hindu community
Another group, called the Hindu American Foundation, also criticized Vance, saying that in the past month there has been an increase in anti-Hindu sentiment, often coming from Christian sources.
“If your wife encouraged you to re-engage with your faith, why not reciprocate and re-engage with Hinduism as well?”
“You are the Vice President. It is more than reasonable (and within precedent) for a Christian public figure such as yourself to acknowledge the positive impact of Hinduism on Hindus and the rights of Hindus to practice,” the group said.
JD Vance issues an explanation
Two days after making the comments and facing backlash, JD Vance opened up about the issue on Friday.
“First, the question was from a person seemingly to my left, about my interfaith marriage. I’m a public person and people are curious and I didn’t want to avoid the question,” he said in a response posted on X.
“Secondly, my Christian faith tells me that the gospel is true and good for human beings. My wife – as I said at TPUSA – is the most amazing blessing I have in my life. She herself encouraged me to re-engage in my faith many years ago,” Vance added.
Read also | ‘He has no plans to convert’: Vance amid backlash over wife’s faith remark
He claimed that Usha Vance has no plans to convert to Christianity.
“She’s not a Christian and she doesn’t plan to convert, but like a lot of people in an interfaith marriage — or any interfaith relationship — I hope one day she’ll see things like I did. Regardless, I’ll continue to love her and support her and talk to her about faith and life and everything else because she’s my wife,” he said.
