Indian-origin doctor's viral bindi video sparked an online backlash that she had never seen in her life: 5 other times Indians faced similar rhetoric in recent years

Indian-origin plastic surgeon Dr. Karishma Reddy faced anti-Indian abuse online after posting a video about her bindi.

A patient told Reddy that her bindi was like a 'scratch-off lottery ticket' to see if her husband won a motel or gas station.

Reddy said she had never experienced such anti-Indian rhetoric in her life, as she usually works in healthcare where Indian colleagues are respected.

A 2026 Carnegie Endowment survey found that one in four Indian Americans have been called a slur since 2025.

One in five Indian Americans avoid wearing religious symbols like bindis in public due to fear of targeting.