‘Hate has no place in US’: Indian-American Congressman condemns racist chants in Texas

Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi on Thursday condemned anti-India slogans raised by white supremacists outside a Texas city hall. He said hate and discrimination against any community have no place in the United States.The Democratic lawmaker’s remarks came amid concerns over incidents targeting Indians and other minority communities in the US.In a post on X, Krishnamoorthi referred to chants reportedly heard during a demonstration outside a Texas city hall.“‘Go back to India.’ ‘You will not replace us.’ Those were the chants of white supremacists outside a Texas city hall just weeks ago. Whether directed at Hindus, Muslims, Jews, or any other community, hate has no place in America. We must stand shoulder-to-shoulder against bigotry, prejudice, and discrimination wherever it appears,” he wrote.Krishnamoorthi urged Americans to unite against discrimination and said prejudice against any community should be challenged irrespective of who is being targeted.His comments come against the backdrop of a wider debate over racism and anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States.Earlier, during his visit to India in May, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also addressed concerns about racist comments targeting Indians in the US.Speaking at a joint press conference with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi, Rubio said he took such concerns seriously but argued that offensive remarks by individuals should not be viewed as representative of the country.“I’m sure that there are people that have made comments online and other places, because every country in the world has stupid people. I’m sure stupid people here, they’re stupid people in the United States that make dumb comments all the time,” Rubio had said.He also stressed that individual opinions should not be seen as reflective of American society as a whole. “I don’t know what else to tell you, other than the United States is a very welcoming country,” the top US diplomat claimed.Krishnamoorthi’s latest intervention is likely to add to ongoing discussions in the US over hate speech, discrimination and the safety of minority communities, with lawmakers continuing to call for greater vigilance against incidents targeting ethnic and religious groups.