‘Still a strain of extremism in America’: New Jersey Sikh mayor on death threats

The Sikh mayor of Hoboken city in New Jersey, Ravinder S Bhalla, disclosed in an interview to CBS News that the threatening letters which he had received by mail had first asked him to resign. Targetting him for his Sikh faith, the letters then threatened to kill him and his family. The third threat he received, however, was the most disturbing as it said, 'This is your last warning. If you don't resign immediately, we will kill you, we'll kill your wife, we'll kill your children’.

Another letter ostensibly also said that it was time to kill him.

Bhalla, who was first elected as Hoboken mayor in 2017, told the media that despite these threats he and his family were standing strong. Further, he added that hate was not welcome in his city. Bhalla had again contested for the mayor’s post in 2021 and he won.

The mayor has also said that he is very proud to lead this city as an American of Sikh background.

The series of letters which he first received in the mail started more than a year ago. The letters demanded that he resign from his post and shortly after he received a second letter that threatened his life. The third letter was the worst in which the threats involved killing his wife and children.

According to Bhalla, the letter was full of angst, anger, a lot of hate, combined with actual threats upon his life and the life of his children and his wife. These letters prompted law enforcement agencies to provide 24-hour security for the mayor and his two children at school.

Bhalla felt this was unfair on his kids who had not signed up for this type of behaviour. It was he who had signed up to be the mayor, he pointed out adding that his biggest concern was for his kids. 

Replying to a question by the media on his experience as a Sikh politician after 9/11, Bhalla said he feels proud to be a American. Stating that he wanted people to be treated equally,  he remarked that it is 'unfortunate' that there is still a 'strain of extremism' in America and that small strain still prevails somewhere in Hoboken as well. This needed to be exposed so that people know about it and eventually put an end to it through education and through love, he added.

Earlier too in 2019, death threats were made to Bhalla and his family. That time he had said in a statement that these death threats are an unfortunate reminder that we need to take security seriously.