Sikh truck driver stabbed 17 times in Wyoming days after DHS’s ‘Mr Singh’ post | Amritsar News
AMRITSAR: Four days after the US Department of Homeland Security’s controversial reference to “Mr Singh” in an immigration enforcement post, a brutal attack on a Sikh truck driver in Wyoming has left Sikh Americans demanding that US authorities establish whether racial or religious hatred played any role in the assault.The American Sikh Council (ASC) has called for a full and transparent investigation and official accountability, saying the circumstances surrounding the Sept 13 stabbing of Gurvinder Singh at the Bitter Creek Rest Area along Interstate 80 warrant close scrutiny.Singh suffered 17 wounds, including stab injuries to his neck and chest, according to charging documents cited by Cowboy State Daily.A family at the rest area reportedly heard screams, saw the attacker flee and followed the suspect’s truck long enough to photograph identifying details, which were provided to investigators.Andrew Kris Bzdak was subsequently arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder. Authorities have said the motive remains unknown.The attack occurred just four days after DHS published an AI-generated image of a fictional brown-skinned, bearded man identified as “Mr Singh”, accompanied by the message: “America for Americans. Get off our roads; you don’t know how to drive, Mr Singh.”The post was removed following criticism from Sikh and Indian-American organisations.The ASC said it was not claiming that the DHS post triggered the attack, noting that no evidence currently establishes such a connection.However, it said the proximity between the government messaging and the violent assault had intensified concerns among Sikh and South Asian Americans about the climate facing their communities.The council demanded that investigators specifically examine whether Singh was targeted because of his race, religion or identity.It also urged federal officials to address concerns over rhetoric that community organisations say can reinforce stereotypes against Sikh and immigrant truck drivers.The demand has resonated particularly strongly among Sikh Americans working in the trucking industry, who regularly travel long distances across US highways and rely on roadside facilities such as rest areas.The ASC said Singh, his family and Sikh truck drivers “should not have to wonder” whether their identity could make them targets of violence.
