New York: The US State Department is “deeply disturbed” by reports of an attack on an Indian-origin Sikh cab driver at the JFK International Airport and condemned any form of hate-based violence, saying perpetrators of hate crimes should be held accountable for their actions, no matter where such crimes occur.
The Sikh taxi driver was assaulted by an unidentified man, who knocked off his turban and also used expletives against him outside the JFK International Airport here, according to a video on social media.
State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA), in a tweet on Saturday, said: “We are deeply disturbed by reports of an apparent attack on a Sikh cab driver at J.F.K. airport, captured on video last week. Our diversity makes the U.S. stronger, & we condemn any form of hate-based violence.
“We all have a responsibility to hold perpetrators of hate crimes accountable for their actions, no matter where such crimes occur”.
The State Department’s reaction came after the Indian Consulate General in New York termed the assault on the Sikh taxi driver as “deeply disturbing” and said it has taken up the matter with US authorities and urged them to investigate the violent incident.
In the video posted by Twitter user Kaur, the person can be heard allegedly using expletives against the Sikh individual. He repeatedly hits and punches the Sikh man, knocking his turban off.
The National Sikh Campaign said that “we are only a few days into the new year and there has already been a hate crime committed against a Sikh. A bystander recorded an unidentified man attacking a Sikh taxi driver, ultimately knocking off the driver’s turban.
