A Sikh mayoral candidate in the US has been labelled a terrorist in slanderous flyers left on car windshields only days before the election, according to a media report.
The flyers targeting Ravinder Bhalla, the first Sikh to hold elected office in New Jersey, were placed on car windshields on Friday night, New York Daily News reported.
They have a photo of New Jersey Councilman Bhalla. In red letters above him, the flyers read: “Don’t let terrorism take over our Town!”
Yesterday, a flyer w/ word “terrorist” above a pic of me was circulated in Hob. Of course this is troubling, but we won’t let hate win. pic.twitter.com/Ri9xrYF4Al
— Ravinder S. Bhalla (@RaviBhalla) November 4, 2017
I want people to know Hob is a welcoming community where my wife & I are proud to raise our children. No matter your race, ethnicity...
— Ravinder S. Bhalla (@RaviBhalla) November 4, 2017
...you are welcome here in our City. As Mayor, I will work hard to keep it that way. I want to use incident to affirm the value of...
— Ravinder S. Bhalla (@RaviBhalla) November 4, 2017
...living in a diverse community where we're judged by content of character, not by color of skin or how we worship. At time w/ President...
— Ravinder S. Bhalla (@RaviBhalla) November 4, 2017
...seeking to divide us, it is critical we come together as a community and stand up for American values." -Ravi
— Ravinder S. Bhalla (@RaviBhalla) November 4, 2017
The report alleged that the leaflets appear to be a modified version of mailers sent out by another Hoboken mayoral candidate, Mike DeFusco. The original flyers accused Bhalla of having a potential conflict of interest. DeFusco has condemned the altered flyers.
Bhalla, in a statement, called the flyers “troubling”. “We won’t let hate win in Hoboken,” he said.
“I want to use this as an opportunity to affirm to each other and our children the value of living in a diverse community where we are judged by the content of our character — not by the colour of our skin or how we worship,” Bhalla said in the statement.
#TeamBhalla is finishing strong! Our team has the experience & vision to keep Hob moving forward. Check out our final video & share! pic.twitter.com/pqNH8ALtMG
— Ravinder S. Bhalla (@RaviBhalla) November 3, 2017
