Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, came to the US more than a decade ago to become an engineer.
Highlights
- Donald Trump has not directly condemned the Kansas shooting incident
- Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar is on a 4-day visit to the US
- The FBI has joined the local agencies to investigate the murder
US President Donald Trump has reacted, through his press secretary Sean Spicer, to the shooting incident at a Kansas city bar which left Indian engineer
Srinivas Kuchibhotla dead and his friend Alok Madasani injured last Wednesday. The White House has said that early reports regarding the apparent hate crime were "disturbing". The statement comes on a day when
Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar embarks upon a four-day visit to the US to discuss the issues of H-1B visas and reports of violence against Indians.
Mr Spicer referred to the incident while giving a statement about the alleged hate crime incidents against the Jewish community in the United States. The press secretary said that there is no space for violence based on religion and ethnicity.
"From our country's founding, we've been dedicated to protecting the freedom of our citizens' rights to worship. No one in America should feel afraid to follow the religion of their choosing freely and openly. The President has dedicated to preserving this originating principle of our nation," Mr Spicer said.
"And while we're at it, I don't want to get ahead of law enforcement, but I was asked the other day about the story in Kansas, the shooting in Kansas. While the story is evolving, early reports out of Kansas are equally disturbing," the White House press secretary said.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has joined local law enforcement agencies to investigate the incident that has shocked the
Indian-American community and has affected prospective students and employees.
However, President Donald Trump has not directly condemned the Kansas incident, which evoked a
sharp response from Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.
Ms Clinton, who unsuccessfully contested against Mr Trump in the US presidential elections as the Democratic candidate, tweeted:US Senator Bernie Sanders also echoed Ms Clinton's sentiments and tweeted:Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani, both aged 32, were shot at by 51-year old US navy veteran Adam Purinton who also racially abused them. The incident led to the death of Kuchibhotla while Madasani was injured. A US citizen
Ian Grillot tried to intervene and
received injuries in the firing in Austin Bar and Grill in Kansas last Wednesday.
(with inputs from Agencies)