An Indian candidate running for city council in Hamilton, New Zealand has faced a racist slur.
Yugraj Singh Mahil is the first Sikh to run for Hamilton’s city council.
An election poster featuring him alongside another candidate Anna Casey-Cox has been defaced with the word ‘ISIS’ plastered over it in black paint, Radio New Zealand reported.
Both are first time candidates in the city's east ward. Singh was campaigning through the day and learnt about this only later on Monday night.
"It's more than insulting," he told RNZ.
"People mostly change the appearance of the person but tagging such a group is very harsh, very distressful."
Mr Mahil, who has lived in Hamilton for 17 years now said that he had never faced that sort of behaviour.
"I think this is due to the turban; that happens sometimes, people get confused; they think only Muslims wear turbans."
In a Facebook Post, Singh wrote, “Although shocked and disappointed by this act, we believe it does not reflect public opinion, but rather, the sentiments of a misinformed and ignorant individual/s.”
"My daughter and my wife got really upset ... my wife is a little bit worried about going outside so we try to be safe and don't go out at night, but still I have to go out and want to give this my best shot," he was quoted as saying by the New Zealand Herald.
"It means the whole community gets shocked, all of the Sikh community. I have been receiving calls from various Sikh leaders that this is bad and we have to make a noise about it and raise awareness," he said.
