New Delhi: Expressing concern over the latest incident of hate crime in US where a Sikh was shot at by a group of white men in Phoenix, National Commission for Minorities (NCM) on May 22, asked the government to take up the issue with American authorities.

"I have written to Foreign Secretary K Sibal regarding the concerns of the Commission. We have also asked them to take up the issue with the US authorities," NCM Chairman Tarlochan Singh said.

Singh said "though the US authorities take note of even a minor incident of such nature in India, why is it they are not able to stop these hate crimes in their own country?"

In the letter written to Sibal, the Commission said, "Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is fully aware about the mis-identification of the Sikhs in USA and because of that many Sikhs have been hurt and even shot at after September 11 terrorist attack. MEA has already taken action to request USA government to take measures for helping the Sikhs."

"I would request that MEA may please again impress upon USA government for taking strong measures and also use media for educating the American people about separate identity of the Sikhs," the letter said.

An Indian Sikh Avtar Chiera was shot at and seriously injured by a group of White men in North Phoenix in Arizona in the latest incident of hate crime in the US.

The shooting of Chiera comes less than two years after Balbir Singh Sodhi, a gas station owner, was shot dead in Arizona, allegedly because he was a Sikh.

PTI