Sikh in Indiana portrayed as ‘Muslim supporter’

October 19, 2016 04:11 am | Updated December 01, 2016 06:42 pm IST - CHICAGO:

In another gaffe, an Indian-origin Sikh in the U.S. was misidentified as a Muslim supporter of Donald Trump in flyers distributed by the Republican presidential nominee’s campaign, a media report said on Tuesday.

Gurinder Singh Khalsa, a resident of Fishers city in Indiana who immigrated to the U.S. from India, featured in the handbill advertisement with the word “Muslim” superimposed above his picture, WTHR TV channel reported.

‘Not a supporter’

The flyers, distributed in Ohio to canvass for Mr. Trump, claimed that Mr. Khalsa was a ‘Muslim Trump supporter’. “I am not Muslim and I am not supporting Trump,” he was quoted as saying by the channel.

“He [Trump] is putting my picture, saying Muslims support him and I have nothing to do with it. I do not support Trump.

‘Shocking, disturbing’

“Nobody even asked me to put that picture there. It was shocking, disturbing and this will create more confusion among people because they are sending it nationwide,” he said.

Mr. Khalsa, who founded the Sikh Political Action Committee, said Sikhs have been mistaken as radical Islamists and have been targeted by hate crimes.

Mr. Khalsa said he knew he had to work to educate the general public, but “now we have to work hard to get national-level politicians and the presidential candidate, he does not know the difference between Muslims and Sikhs and that is most disturbing“. — PTI

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