Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], September 22 (ANI): Ludhiana MP and Punjab Congress President Amrinder Singh Raja Warring has written to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, raising concern over the Sikh community being "racially attacked" in the United States and the United Kingdom and calling for summoning diplomats of the respective countries over the issue and convey "strong resenment" over the attacks.
He pressed for Jaishankar to raise the matter "at the highest level with the two countries", citing a recent attack on September 13 in Wyoming, stating that the victim is "struggling for life in a hospital."
In his letter on Monday, Warring linked a recent stabbing of a Sikh person to an advertisement issued by the US Department of Homeland Security on September 9 which, according to him, said, "Get off our roads, you don't know how to drive, Mr. Singh" but was later withdrawn.
"One of the victims is struggling for life after having been stabbed seventeen time in a racial attack in Wyoming in the United States. It started with the United States’ Homeland Security Department issuing a racially prejudicial advertisement, “Get off our roads, you don’t know how to drive, Mr. Singh” on September 9, 2026," he said in the letter.
"Although the advertisement was withdrawn later, but it did lead to 'racial profiling' of the Sikh/turbaned drivers in the US and also physical attacks on them," he said.
Warring noted that California Governor Gavin Newsom and Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi had objected to the advertisement, but claimed that the Government of India had made no "objection".
He also referred to another incident on September 18, in which a Sikh bus driver was attacked in England.
Warring said the incidents have "caused a sense of fear among Sikh community drivers" in both countries and deepened a sense of "hurt and anguish" among Sikhs globally due to being "racially targeted and nobody was bothered to take note of it".
"This is my earnest request to you that the diplomats from the two countries posted in New Delhi be summoned and strong resentment be conveyed to them. Besides, the government of India must raise the matter at the highest level with the two countries so that a strong message gets across," he said.
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi had earlier condemned the Wyoming stabbing, calling it part of a rise in hatred targeting Sikh and South Asian Americans.
In a post on X, he said he was "horrified" by the attack and called for accountability, stating that "those spreading this hate, including officials in our own federal government, need to stop," and that those who turn it into violence "must be held accountable."
He also criticised the Department of Homeland Security's social media post over what he called a racist caricature of a Sikh truck driver, and expressed solidarity with the injured driver, wishing him a full recovery while thanking the family whose quick response helped save his life.
Warring also took to X to condemn the attack in England, calling for an investigation into the matter by UK authorities.
The assault on a Sikh bus driver in Telford, England, is deeply disturbing and must not be ignored.
Every person has the right to live and work without fear of violence or discrimination. If this attack was motivated by hatred or prejudice, it must be treated with the… pic.twitter.com/fBweovNK9P
"Every person has the right to live and work without fear of violence or discrimination. If this attack was motivated by hatred or prejudice, it must be treated with the seriousness it deserves. UK authorities must conduct a fair and time-bound investigation, identify those responsible, and ensure they face the full force of the law. The victim and the Sikh community deserve justice, safety and equal protection. There must be accountability for this unacceptable act," he said. (ANI)
