New Jersey, October 19: The first Sikh mayor in the United States, Ravinder S Bhalla, reportedly received a series of letters threatening to assassinate him and his family. The latter told CBS News on Wednesday, October 18, that the letters he got in the mail initially asked him to resign from his position but eventually began threatening his and his family's lives and targeted him because of his Sikh beliefs.

The third threat, which was the most jolting, came soon thereafter and 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', he said. US: Mikey Hothi, First Ever Sikh of Indian Origin, Unanimously Elected As Mayor of Lodi City in California.

The most recent threat, he claimed, happens to be the most jolting one. "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", it read. Further, one of the letters also read, "It's time to kill you."

According to him, there was a lot of "angst, anger, a lot of hate, combined with actual threats" against his life and the lives of his children and wife. "My main concern was for my children." I signed up to be mayor, but my children did not sign up for this kind of behaviour, he explained. As a Sikh American, I'm a proud American, and I want people to be treated equally, he said. Indian-Origin Sikh Councillor Jaswant Singh Birdi Scripts History in UK, Becomes First Turban-Wearing Lord Mayor of Coventry.

Who is Ravinder S Bhalla?

Bhalla was elected mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey, for the first time in 2017. He won again in 2021. Bhalla has served on the municipal council for more than seven years, according to PTI. Former Mayor Dawn Zimmer endorsed him after her decision not to run for a third term.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 19, 2023 11:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).