Ravinder Bhalla’s election victory was, however, hailed on social media.
NEW DELHI – Days after American racists spread a hate-filled campaign including flyers that labelled him a “terrorist”, Ravinder Bhalla is set to become the first Sikh mayor of the city of Hoboken in the US state of New Jersey.
Bhalla, who has been a member of the city council for more than seven years, won the election on Tuesday.
Incumbent mayor Dawn Zimmer decided not to run for re-election in June and endorsed Bhalla, an Indo-American born in New Jersey, to take her place, Pix11 news channel reported.
On November 4, Bhalla had tweeted an image of the flyers that claimed his election victory could cost Hoboken taxpayers millions of dollars. The flyers also featured the slogan “Don’t let terrorism take over our town” in large red letters over a picture of Bhalla.
“Of course this is troubling, but we won’t let hate win,” Bhalla said in his tweet.
The flyers were not the first time Bhalla had been referred to as a terrorist.
A Jersey City man had tweeted: “how the hell did Hoboken allow this guy to be a councilman. He shouldn’t even be allowed in the U.S. #terrorist.”
Bhalla’s election victory was hailed on social media.
