Chandigarh, September 21
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president and Ludhiana MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Monday urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to take up with the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom the racial attacks on Sikh drivers, including a recent stabbing incident in Wyoming in which a Sikh driver was reportedly stabbed 17 times.
In a letter to Jaishankar, Warring said the incidents had created a sense of fear and insecurity among Sikh drivers in the two countries and caused “deep hurt and anguish” among Sikhs globally. Referring to the September 9 US Department of Homeland Security advertisement carrying the message, “Get off our roads, you don’t know how to drive, Mr. Singh,” Warring described it as “racially prejudicial” and said it had triggered concerns over racial profiling of Sikh and turbaned drivers in the US.
PPCC president pointed out that several US political leaders, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and Indian-origin Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, had objected to the advertisement. Although the advertisement was subsequently withdrawn, Warring said that there had been no public objection from the Government of India.
Warring referred to the September 13 attack on a Sikh driver in Wyoming, saying the victim was “mercilessly beaten and stabbed 17 times” and was struggling for life in hospital. He also cited the September 18 incident in England, in which a Sikh bus driver was assaulted while driving, saying disturbing visuals of the incident had circulated widely on social media.
The Congress leader said the two incidents, coming soon after the US advertisement, warranted an urgent response from the Indian government. Warring urged Jaishankar to summon the US and UK diplomats posted in New Delhi and convey India’s strong resentment over the incidents. He further requested the External Affairs Ministry to raise the matter “at the highest level” with both governments so that a strong message was conveyed regarding the safety and dignity of Sikh citizens and the wider Sikh community.