WASHINGTON: Condemning the attack on former president Donald Trump at an election rally, a US-based Sikh rights group has likened the shooter’s mindset to the ultra-nationalist Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, it claims, “takes pride in getting his political opponents killed at home and abroad”.
“We, the pro-Khalistan Sikhs seeking a referendum for Punjab’s independence from Indian occupation, unequivocally condemn the assassination attempt on Trump,” stated Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, General Counsel to Sikhs for Justice (SFJ).
The attack occurred just before Trump, 78, was scheduled to formally accept the Republican presidential nomination at a campaign speech in Butler, Pennsylvania. Gunshots rang out, injuring Trump’s right ear and causing minor facial injuries.
The FBI has identified the suspect as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, a registered Republican. The incident also tragically claimed the life of rally attendee Corey Comperatore, 50, from Sarver, Pennsylvania, who Governor Josh Shapiro confirmed died while shielding his family from gunfire.
Pannun compared the Trump attack and the alleged actions by India’s Modi government, accusing them of targeting dissenting voices within the pro-Khalistan movement, such as Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and multiple incidents of alleged “Murder for Hire” plots in New York City. “There is no place for political violence in a democracy. Political differences should always be resolved through votes, not violence,” underscored Pannun, calling for a peaceful resolution through democratic processes like the Khalistan Referendum. –Agencies
