The police in New Zealand’s Auckland city on Friday arrested a man of Indian origin for allegedly threatening a Sikh youth on social media and posting derogatory messages against him, The Times of India reported. The accused also abused a few other people.
The man allegedly made the offensive remarks on a Facebook group. He reportedly called the Sikh man a “Khalistani terrorist” and posted his photos and phone number online. The man accused the youth of running a hate campaign against Indians, and urged people to complain to the police about him.
The accused also told the youth that he would come to his house to teach him a lesson, according to The Times of India. The police have filed a case against the man based on the youth’s complaint. They are also likely to investigate the role of some other people in making hateful comments.
Sikh community leaders in Australia have also noted a growing divide within the Indian-Australian community, according to The Guardian. They alleged that Facebook and WhatsApp were being used to disseminate rhetoric against religious minority groups, amid the farmers’ protest in India.
Last month, armed men had attacked four Sikh students in Sydney. It was suspected to be a hate crime.
Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, have been camping outside Delhi since December, the repeal of the Centre’s new agricultural laws. The laws seek to open up the country’s agriculture markets to private companies. Farmers fear the policies will make them vulnerable to corporate exploitation and would dismantle the minimum support price regime.
