Punjab Congress president and Ludhiana MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Monday urged external affairs minister S Jaishankar to raise the recent rise in racial attacks against Sikh drivers with the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom.
In a letter to the Union minister, Warring highlighted the recent Wyoming incident where a Sikh driver was reportedly stabbed 17 times. He noted that such attacks have generated widespread fear and insecurity among Sikh drivers abroad, triggering “deep hurt and anguish” across the global Sikh community.
Warring pointed to a September 9 digital advertisement issued by the US Department of Homeland Security featuring the message: “Get off our roads, you don’t know how to drive, Mr Singh”. Describing the ad as racially prejudicial, the Congress leader said it has heightened concerns over the racial profiling of turbaned and Sikh drivers across the US. Though several US political leaders—including California Governor Gavin Newsom and Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi—objected to the campaign, leading to its subsequent withdrawal, Warring observed that the Government of India had issued no public objection.
Highlighting a series of recent hate crimes, Warring cited a September 18 incident in England, where a Sikh bus driver was assaulted on duty, with videos of the attack circulating widely on social media.
{{/usCountry}}Highlighting a series of recent hate crimes, Warring cited a September 18 incident in England, where a Sikh bus driver was assaulted on duty, with videos of the attack circulating widely on social media.
{{/usCountry}}Calling the sequence of events an urgent national concern, Warring requested that New Delhi summon diplomats from the US and UK to convey India’s strong resentment. He further urged the ministry of external affairs to escalate the matter at the highest governmental levels to ensure the safety, dignity, and protection of Sikh citizens abroad.