‘Don’t want third world rituals’: US Rep. Brendan Gill’s Chhat Puja jibe sparks online outrage

american statesman Brandon Gill He is once again in the middle of a social media frenzy after he commented on a video of Chhat Puja celebrations in Texas that was doing the rounds on social media. The congressman representing Texas’ 26th Congressional District claimed in an interview with X that he does not want third world religious groups in his community’s public waterways. “I do not want a third world religious ceremony to be held on a public waterway in my community,” he wrote. Gill also tagged an old video of a Chhat Puja celebration in Denton, Texas, that has been widely circulated on the platform in recent days. The original post criticized Indian Americans for “pouring milk directly into the lake,” polluting local waterways and aquatic life. “Protect Texas Waters,” it said. Social media users soon joined the chorus of abuse, attacking not just Indian-Americans but the country and its culture. “Look on Google Earth where the Ganges flows into the Bay of Bengal, it is the largest sewer in the world and pollutes the entire ocean, why do we have these low value people in our country? They contribute nothing and take everything,” one user wrote. “There’s a reason why I don’t want to spend any time in India or many parts of India. middle East (I’ve already been there). These people come here and instead of adopting the American way of life they bring dirty habits and it’s really disgusting,” another added. “This is not India. Don’t think my two nieces and their husbands will like any part of it because they live in Denton. If you want to celebrate your morals or national heritage, go to India and celebrate it. This is Texas!” cried the man. However, other users pointed out the contradiction, noting that Gill’s own wife, Danielle D’Souza, is from an Indian immigrant background. “I think I see your in-laws in that picture. What a hypocrite,” one person wrote. Another added: “Hey man, your wife is probably pouring milk in Louisville Lake.” “Brandon, you’re going to upset your in-laws,” one user claimed.“I live on that lake. I’ve seen people vomit and pee in the lake. It doesn’t contaminate anything,” one added.The videos, which date back to celebrations of a Hindu festival in October 2025, have resurfaced on social media platforms as anti-Hindu rhetoric becomes popular in the United States. These highlight the strong anti-India sentiment in the country. From a sharp increase in anti-India posts online to vandalism of symbols associated with the country, all attacks in the United States have increased significantly since the start of Trump’s second term in 2025, demonstrating how political policy shapes civil society.