Donald Trump breaks silence, calls Kansas killing evil

Washington: Breaking his silence, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday condemned as “evil” and “hate” the fatal Kansas shooting in which Indian techie Srinivas Kuchibhotla was killed.

“Recent threats targeting Jewish Community Centers and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, as well as last week’s shooting in Kansas City, remind us that while we may be a nation divided on policies, we are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all its forms,” Mr Trump said in his first address to the joint session of the US Congress.

Mr Trump’s comments came after the White House condemned the shooting as “racially-motivated hatred”.

“As more facts come to light, and it begins to look like this was an act of racially-motivated hatred, we want to reiterate that the President condemns these and any other racially or religiously motivated attacks in the strongest terms,” White House deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters during an off-camera press conference. “They have no place in our country and we will continue to make that clear,” Ms Sanders added.

“The President is keeping the family of the victim, who was senselessly, killed in his thoughts, and we’re praying for the full and speedy recovery of those who were wounded,” Ms Sanders said.

By mentioning Kansas in his address, Trump heeded to the call being made by a number of Indian-American organisations and lawmakers to publicly condemn the shooting, which is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as a hate crime.

New Delhi will be quite relieved after the President’s condemnation of the shooting. India had earlier on Tuesday said there was no need to issue a demarche to the US in the wake of  the killing since “assurances” had already been furnished by top authorities at Kansas to the Indian Consulate in Houston.

MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay said the safety of Indians is the “highest priority” for the government, adding that it would remain “engaged” in any safety issue involving Indians abroad.

Kuchibhotla, 32, was killed and Alok Madasani, another Indian of the same age, injured in the shooting by navy veteran Adam Purinton, who yelled “terrorist” and “get out of my country” before opening fire on them.

A 24-year-old American named Ian Grillot who tried to defend the Indians also received injuries in the firing last Wednesday. Purinton, 51, apparently mistook the Indians for immigrants from the Middle East.