Tulsi Gabbard called ‘devil’ by Republican opponent

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii)

WASHINGTON: Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu to be elected to the US Congress, has been targeted for her Hindu faith by her Republican opponent in the Congressional elections, prompting sharp reactions from the Hindu-American community members.

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

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

“Some Christians say, a vote for Tulsi Gabbard is a vote for Satan, the devil do you agree or disagree?” Kaaihue alleged in a Facebook post, which has now been deleted.

This infuriated the Hindu-American community. The Hawaii Republican Party in a statement urged party members to disavow Kaaihue for her attacking Gabbard for her religion and faith.