Indian-origin US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has condemned the stabbing of a Sikh truck driver in Wyoming, saying the attack comes amid what he described as rising hatred targeting Sikh and South Asian Americans in the US.His remarks also referred to a recent Trump administration post featuring a Sikh man identified as “Mr Singh” and telling him to “get off our roads” and “self-deport”.Krishnamoorthi said he was “horrified” by the attack on the truck driver, who was stabbed 17 times at a rest stop in Wyoming. He added that Americans should stand against both hate and violence.“Those spreading this hate, including officials in our own federal government, need to stop. Those who turn it into violence must be held accountable,” the Democratic congressman said in a post on X.Krishnamoorthi, meanwhile, called for those responsible for the attack to be held accountable and said Americans should stand against both hate and violence.
Sikh truck driver stabbed 17 times
The victim, identified as 28-year-old Gurvinder Singh, an Indian-origin Punjabi Sikh truck driver from Sacramento, was attacked on September 13 at the Bitter Creek Rest Area along Interstate 80 in Wyoming.Singh told NPR that he had stopped at the rest area while travelling towards Pennsylvania when another man followed him into a washroom and suddenly attacked him with a knife. He suffered multiple stab wounds to his neck, chest, arms and ribs before managing to escape the restroom and call for help.A family at the rest area heard Singh crying for help and came to his assistance. The family also provided police with information about the suspect’s vehicle.The Wyoming Highway Patrol later stopped the vehicle near Rawlins and arrested Andrew Kris Bzdak, 45. He has been charged with attempted first-degree murder. Authorities have not established a motive for the attack.Singh, who has been driving trucks commercially for around three years, said the incident has left him concerned about the safety of other Punjabi Sikh truck drivers travelling across the US.
What was the ‘Mr Singh’ post?
Krishnamoorthi’s comments came days after the US Department of Homeland Security faced criticism over an AI-generated graphic featuring a brown-skinned, bearded Sikh man identified as “Mr Singh”.The graphic, posted as part of the Trump administration’s messaging on illegal immigration and immigrant truck drivers, carried the message: “America for Americans. Get off our roads; you don’t know how to drive, Mr Singh.” It also urged immigrants to “self-deport”.The DHS post was later removed following criticism from Sikh and Indian-American organisations.The American Sikh Council has called for a full and transparent investigation into the Wyoming stabbing, requesting authorities to examine whether race, religion or identity played any role in the attack.The group has also stressed that it is not claiming that the DHS post caused or triggered the stabbing, as there is currently no evidence establishing such a connection.
