New York, August 27: A media report said that an Indian-American candidate running for a city council seat in North Carolina was shocked when she found her face “scratched” and replaced with an image of a black person in one of her campaign banners.
The daily Herald Sun reported on Friday that Sarika Bansal, who, if elected, would be the first Indian American and the second woman of color to serve on the Cary City Council, was attending a meeting when a friend texted her about the banner.
Bansal said the sign was found in the Haycroft Village neighborhood of West Cary in District D, which is where she is running for a council seat.
She told the newspaper that her head on the sign had been scratched and a picture of a black person superimposed on her face.
“This was shocking.. Even after the meeting, I usually walk and talk to the council members, but I couldn’t because I was so shocked. I came home, had dinner, and my phone started ringing because of that. It was all over the place,” Bansal told the Herald Sun. all over social media.”
Bansal said she did not know if any other signs had been vandalized, and said she was “really saddened by the vandalism and racism that my campaign has been exposed to”.
“We must embrace diversity as a way to build strength and unity in our city. Bigotry and racism against people of colour, brown or black people have no place in the City of Cary,” Bansal said in a statement released on Friday.
She called on her fellow candidates and elected officials to reject this behavior and to commit to working for a Carey who accepts people of all backgrounds and colors.
Mayor Harold Weinbrecht, in a statement on behalf of the town of Cary, said they would investigate.
Weinbrecht said, “This racist and despicable act is blatantly antithetical to the values we hold dear at Carrie and will only serve to bring our community closer together. We will do everything we can to get to the bottom of this.”
In North Carolina, it is a third-degree misdemeanor for anyone to steal, deface, vandalize, or remove a lawfully placed political sign. It carries a penalty of up to 30 days in prison, a $500 fine, and up to a year of probation.
Cary is home to more than 180,000 residents, with Asian Americans making up 20 percent of the population.
An accomplished information security professional and small business owner, Bansal is an advocate for women’s rights, common sense weapon reform, and improving mental health resources throughout society.
After moving to Cary in 2015 to pursue a career opportunity in cybersecurity, Bansal and her husband started a jewelry business.
Municipal elections are held in Kari on October 10, weeks before the presidential elections in November.
Along with Bansal, current Councilman Ryan Eads and newcomer Rachael Jordan will face District Dr.
Source: IANS
Disclaimer: This story has not been edited by the WBSETCL team and is auto-generated from syndicated feed.
