Washington, DC: Reacting to recent attacks on Indian students in the US, the White House has condemned violence based on race, gender, or any other factor, deeming it unacceptable within the nation.
During a press briefing on Thursday, John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House, emphasized the efforts of US President Joe Biden and his administration to combat such attacks.
In response to concerns regarding recent attacks on Indian students and parental worries about sending their children to the US, Kirby stated, “There’s no excuse for violence, certainly based on race or gender or religion or any other factor. That’s just unacceptable here in the United States.” He added that the administration is diligently working with state and local authorities to thwart and disrupt such attacks, ensuring accountability for perpetrators.
The statement comes amidst a surge in attacks and fatalities among Indians and Indian-Americans in the United States.
On February 7, a 41-year-old Indian-origin man, Vivek Taneja of Alexandria, Virginia, died after sustaining life-threatening injuries from an assault in downtown Washington on February 2. Despite being rushed to the hospital for treatment, Taneja succumbed to his injuries.
The Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC, is seeking public assistance in identifying and locating the suspect.
In another incident, an Indian student, Syed Mazahir Ali, faced a brutal attack in Chicago on February 4. Videos circulating on social media depicted Ali bleeding heavily as he described the incident and being chased by three attackers on the streets of Chicago.
Earlier in February, Shreyas Reddy, a student at the Linder School of Business, was found dead in Cincinnati, Ohio, under unknown circumstances.
Similarly, Neel Acharya, a student at Purdue University, was found dead on January 30 after being missing for days.
Prior to these incidents, Vivek Saini, another Indian student, was fatally attacked with repeated blows from a hammer by a homeless man inside a store in Lithonia, Georgia. Although a video of the incident went viral on social media, the exact date of the attack remains unconfirmed.
