Indian American Nikki Haley attacked with racial slur

Betwa Sharma
New York, Jun 6 (PTI) Nikki Haley, the Indian-American
Republican running for the governorship of South Carolina was
attacked with racial slur by a state lawmaker who called her a
"raghead".
Republican state Senator Jake Knotts also attacked
President Barack Obama in comments on an internet political
show called Pub Politics.
Haley, the 38-year-old mother of two, who was born a Sikh
and describes herself as a Methodist, became target of racial
slur typically used against Arabs or other ethnic groups that
wear turbans or headdresses.
"We already got one raghead in the White House," Knotts
said. "We don't need another in the Governor’s Mansion," he
was quoted as saying by 'The State', a South Carolina
newspaper.
Knotts reportedly also talked at length about Haley's
parents' religion and her family.
Haley campaign manager Tim Pearson said Knotts was an
embarrassment to the state, and that South Carolina voters
would make it clear on Tuesday they are better than this.
Knotts now insists that his comments were made in zest
and also agreed to apologise.
"My 'raghead' comments about Obama and Haley were
intended in jest," he said.
"Bear in mind that this is a freewheeling, anything-goes
Internet radio show that is broadcast from a pub. It's like
local political version of 'Saturday Night Live'", he said in
a statement.
"Since my intended humorous context was lost in
translation, I apologise. I still believe Ms Haley is
pretending to be someone she is not, much as Obama did, but I
apologise to both for an unintended slur," the Republican
politician added.
The show's host, Wesley Donehue, told the newspaper: "I,
along with everyone else at the table, was shocked."
Republican Haley currently serves in the South Carolina
House of Representatives where she represents Lexington
County, and is the first Indian-American to hold office in
that state.
Haley's religion was also raised as an issue during her
first South Carolina House run in 2004, when anonymous
fliers claimed that she was a Hindu, which is incorrect.
The daughter of a Sikh Punjabi immigrants faced more
trouble this week, as a political lobbyist claimed that he had
a tryst with the Republican candidate, who is already facing
allegations of an extra-marital affair.

Haley, whose husband is a US Army reserves officer, has
been hit by allegations that she had a "physical" relationship
with commentator Will Folks.
Haley has refused to make her texts and emails public
in order to clear up the controversy.
Haley maintains she has been faithful to her husband
for 13 years and her campaign rejected the latest allegations
as "a false and outrageous desperate attack from a losing
candidate's paid campaign consultant in the final week of the
race".
If elected, Haley would be only the second governor of
Indian origin in the US after Louisiana's Bobby Jindal.
She currently has the backing of political Republican
heavy weights like Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney.
A strong pro family, pro life, pro Second Amendment,
pro development, conservative reformer...your next governor
Nikki Haley," Palin said in her endorsement.
The Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms
in the US. PTI BS
MYR