Washington, D.C. – There have been reports of U.S. authorities disclosing an alleged attempted attack by the Indian Government on a Sikh American on American soil.
A Sikh American advocacy organization says it strongly believe in upholding American values including freedom of speech and the civil rights and liberties of all Sikh Americans.
“If true, the alleged involvement of the Indian Government, in threatening the safety of the Sikh diaspora abroad would fall into a recurring pattern of transnational repression, including the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and allegations of threats against Sikhs in the United States documented by the FBI earlier this year”, SALDEF said in a written statement (copy available with SSN).
“The plan to attack a Sikh American on American soil would be another example of the Indian State’s encroachment on the Sikh Diaspora. In America, peaceful freedom of speech and the right to live a life of dignity are key pillars of our democracy. Currently, SALDEF continues to stay in touch with the FBI, White House, DHS, Congress, and DOJ as we continue to monitor the situation and follow up with next steps to ensure the safety of all Sikh Americans”, the statement reads further.
“We are encouraged that the United States government is escalating this diplomatically. Sikh Americans demand full transparency regarding the safety of our community,” said Kiran Kaur Gill, SALDEF Executive Director.“We urge the Department of Justice to unseal the indictment of the alleged perpetrators related to this most recent incident.”
SALDEF has called upon on the Department of Justice and the United States government to:
- Unseal the indictment of the alleged perpetrators. The Sikh American community deserves full transparency regarding the safety of our lives.
- Urge the Indian government to cease its alleged persecution of Sikhs and minorities in America.
- Work with the Canadian government to hold the perpetrators of Nijjar’s murder accountable.
- Reassure the Sikh American and other Indian minority communities that their civil rights of peaceful free speech and safety will be protected.