Top US Congressman condemns attack on Sikh professor in NY  

, Sept 25: A top US Congressman today condemned the attack on a

professor in

, asserting that this kind of continued hate and violence against the community must end.

"I am deeply troubled by the events that took place on Saturday near Central Park," Congressman Joe Crowley, Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus said in response to the attack on Prabhjot Singh by a group of people last Saturday near Central Park.

"This kind of continued hate and violence against Sikh Americans must end. The Sikh community is an important part of New York and our country. They are everyday Americans –serving in our military, as educators, business leaders and physicians," Crowley said.

"They are our neighbours and friends. The intolerance and ignorance that contributed to this attack is unacceptable, and we must continue to work to end these hate crimes," said Crowley, who has been one of the leading Congressmen raising their voice against attacks on the Sikh community in the US.

Over the past two years, Crowley has led a major effort in the US House of Representatives to convince the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to begin collecting data on hate crimes committed against Sikh-Americans and Hindu-Americans,– introducing legislation and sending multiple letters to the DOJ and FBI.

In July, then-FBI Director Robert Mueller announced that it would begin this programme. Crowley's efforts have been supported by the Sikh Coalition, American Jewish Committee, Anti-Defamation League, Hindu American Foundation, Indian American Forum for Political Education, SALDEF, and South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) among other leading national organisations.

PTI