Assassination attempt on Trump dark chapter in American democracy, say Indian Americans

Chicago: The assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump is “a dark chapter” in American democratic history, Indian Americans from across the country said, as they condemned this heinous attack on the presumptive Republican presidential candidate.

Trump, 78, was hit by a bullet in the upper part of his right ear when the suspected shooter fired multiple shots at his election rally in Pennsylvania.

“Today we learned about the attempted assassination of (former) President Trump. This is very sad, and this is not the kind of violence that is expected in a democracy,” eminent Indian-American community leader Dr Bharat Barai told PTI.

“People have differences of opinion. People have different political views. People have different economic views, and of course, those have to be expressed by the ballot box," Barai said.

This kind of extreme hate where somebody thinks that it is appropriate to kill a political opponent is totally condemnable, he said.

“It’s a dark chapter in American democracy,” Jesdip Singh Jassee, chairman of Sikh Americans for Trump, told PTI.

"We are praying for his safety and recovery. We condemn this act and appeal to America to get United behind President Trump. Waheguru ji blesses Trump and America,” he said.

Ajay Bhutoria, who is the Democratic Party deputy national finance chair and a strong supporter of Joe Biden, said: "All angles and details need to be thoroughly investigated: Could this have been an attempt orchestrated by a foreign entity aiming to sow discord and division among Americans of varying political beliefs, posing a threat to our national security." Violence should never occur in our democracy, he said.

No attack on Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, is going to stop him from winning the presidency once again, said Al Mason, a New York-based real estate investor and friend of the Trump family.

"God is with him. Trump is a fighter and will fight for America,” Mason said.

Hindus4Trump said they stand in solidarity with Trump and his family, and democratic values and condemn this senseless division and violence.

Hate has no place, it said.

Expressing their strong solidarity with Trump, the organisation said: “This is not just an attack on President Trump but an attack on Democracy in the USA!.” “With Trump leading as per the latest polls and Biden being asked to step away by his own party and with the Republican National Convention 2 days away, forces that don't like Liberty, Freedom, Equality, Faith and Strong Nation of The United States of America have today tried to eliminate their opponent by violent means,” it said.

“The assassination attempt on the former President today is a dark chapter in our democracy. We believe this is a serious and sad development,” said Gokul Kunnath, the president of Atlanta-based United States Hindu Alliance.