US State Dept Is 'Deeply Disturbed' After Video Of Attack On Sikh Taxi Driver Goes Viral

India's Consulate General in New York said that it has taken up the matter with the US authorities and urged them to investigate the incident.

Screengrab from the video shared by Navjot Pal Kaur

A 26-second video clip shows a man assaulting a Sikh taxi driver outside what is being said is the J.F.K. Airport. The US Department of State's South and Central Asian Affairs Bureau said they condemn any form of hate-based violence and they were "deeply disturbed" by the video. 

The State Dept also said that they have a responsibility to hold perpetrators of hate crimes accountable. 

"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," said the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs on Twitter.

US | Terming the attack on a Sikh taxi driver at the JFK International Airport as "deeply disturbing", Department of State's South and Central Asian Affairs Bureau said they condemn any form of hate-based violence pic.twitter.com/at3Mrbwol1

— ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2022

India's Consulate General in New York said that it has taken up the matter with the US authorities and urged them to investigate the incident.

The video was originally tweeted by Navjot Pal Kaur on January 4, 2022. She said that the video was shot by a bystander. The man assaulting the Sikh driver is seen using expletives and punching him. The Sikh man's turban eventually gets knocked off. 

“This video was taken by a bystander at John F Kennedy International Airport. I do not own the rights to this video. But I just wanted to highlight the fact that hatred continues to remain in our society and unfortunately, I've seen Sikh cab drivers get assaulted again and again,” Ms Kaur tweeted.

It’s not enough to say that we need to fight AAPI hate. We actually need our elected officials to get involved with consequences for those who commit acts of violence against our community. @GregMeeksNYC @NYCMayor @AdrienneToYou @yuhline @rontkim pic.twitter.com/Dkk23lQw0g

— Navjot Pal Kaur (@navjotpkaur) January 4, 2022

This isn't the first incident of hate crime against the Sikh community in the United States of America (USA). In 2019, an Indian-origin Sikh Uber driver was assaulted in Washington state, in 2017 too, a 25-year old Sikh man was racially abused and his turban was knocked off.