Race, gender or religion: White House responds to attacks on Indian students in US
Washington, DC: “There is no excuse for violence based on race, gender or any other factor,” the White House said on the recent attacks on Indian students in the United States, calling it unacceptable in the country. At a press conference on Thursday, White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said President Joe Biden and the administration have worked very hard to thwart and disrupt the attacks on Indian students.
In response to a question about recent attacks on Indian students and concerns among parents about whether to study in the US, Kirby said: “There is no excuse for violence, especially on the basis of race, gender or religion or any other any other factor. That's just unacceptable here in the United States and the president and his administration have worked very, very hard to make sure that we do everything we can to work with state and local authorities to try to thwart these types of attacks and to disrupt. it is clear to anyone who considers them that they will be held accountable.”
It is worth noting that the statement comes amid rising attacks and deaths among Indians and Indian-Americans in the US.
Attacks on Indian students in the US
On February 7, a 41-year-old man of Indian descent died days after being seriously injured following an attack in central Washington. The victim was identified as Vivek Taneja of Alexandria, Virginia, police said.
According to the police report, the terrible incident took place on February 2 around 2 a.m. (local time). Taneja was rushed to hospital for treatment but succumbed to injuries on February 7.
“On Friday, February 2, 2024, at approximately 2:00 a.m., Second District officers responded to the listed location for reports of an assault. Upon arrival, officers found an adult male suffering from life-threatening injuries as a result of an assault. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment,” the official press release from the Metropolitan Police Department said.
The Metropolitan Police in Washington, DC, has sought public help in identifying the killer.
On February 4, an Indian student was attacked in Chicago. Following the attack, the Indian Consulate responded to the incident, stating that it was in contact with the victim, Syed Mazahir Ali, and his wife in India.
Videos emerged on social media showing Ali bleeding profusely as he described the horrific incident. Meanwhile, another video circulating on social media, which appears to be CCTV footage of the incident, showed Ali being chased by three assailants on the streets of Chicago.
Earlier this month, an Indian student in the United States named Shreyas Reddy was found dead in Cincinnati, Ohio. However, the cause of his death remains unknown until now. According to reports, Reddy was a student at Linder School of Business.
On Jan. 30, Neel Acharya, a student at Purdue University, was found dead after being missing for days, according to the Tippecanoe County coroner.
Earlier, another Indian student identified as Vivek Saini was brutally murdered with repeated blows of a hammer by a homeless man at a shop in Lithonia, Georgia, US. A video of the incident went viral on social media, but the date of the incident cannot be confirmed.