Page 26 - The Indian EYE 032621

NORTH AmERIcAN Newsline MARCH 26, 2021 | The Indian Eye 26

nJ attorney general issues subpoena for

edison racist flyer records

Lawmaker tells Gurbir Grewal to empanel grand jury to solve the case

Our Bureau to identify and bring to justice
the perpetrators of the Edison
Edison, NJ hate crime mailer despite what
he New Jersey Attorney appears to be overwhelming
General’s office last week evidence in the public domain
Tsubpoenaed Edison Town- which identifies the perpetrators
ship for documents related to and their motive,” Peterson told
an anonymous racist flyer in the Grewal in a letter, the latest in
2017 election and empaneled a a volley between the GOP law-
grand jury to determine if any- maker and the state’s top law en-
one will be charged, according to forcement official.
a report in the New Jersey Globe, Peterson says there appears
which “has obtained a copy of to be “sufficient credible evi-
the subpoena”. dence readily available” to begin
The subpoena follows calls by the grand jury process.
local officials, including Edison Attorney General Gurbir Grewal Assemblyman Erik Peterson “You office’s failure to identify
Mayor Thomas Lankey, Council and bring charges for any crimes
President Robert Diehl, Coun- been contacted by state or coun- role. committed emboldens other big-
cilman Sammy Joshi and Assem- ty prosecutors for interviews or “While the investigation is on- ots to commit acts of hate and
blyman Erik Peterson (R-Frank- to turn over evidence they have going, it’s crystal clear that Ma- terror on minority communities,”
lin) for state prosecutors to gathered. “After years of hard hesh Bhagia cannot be allowed Peterson told Grewal. “The peo-
identify the culprit behind what work by the Town Council in- to represent our Democratic Par- ple of Edison deserve, at the very
has become a 40-month-old cold vestigative committee that I am ty after he was directly implicat- least, to know the names of those
case, the report said. proud to be a part of, it’s incredi- ed in this heinous crime,” Joshi who terrorized the Edison Asian
On a tape obtained by the bly gratifying to see the Attorney said. “I am calling on Middlesex community and that they be held
New Jersey Globe, Councilman General’s Office finally act and County Democratic Chairman accountable for this unconscio-
Ajay Patil said he witnessed take this important step towards Kevin McCabe to override the nable act.”
Satish Poondi, a partner at the justice being served against Ma- deeply flawed process of the mu- In a previous letter, Grewal
Wilentz law firm, assembling that hesh Bhagia and his co-conspir- nicipal Democratic committee denied knowing Satish Poon-
racist mailer at the home of the ators in this racist, reprehensible that Bhagia himself chairs and di, a partner at the Wilentz law
Democratic Municipal Chair- act,” said Joshi, a candidate for hold an open primary for mayor. firm and a state Democratic par-
man, Mahesh Bhagia, in 2017, the Demcoratic mayoral nom- Especially in this current terrify- ty leader. Poondi is one of two
New Jersey Globe said. ination, as per the New Jersey ing climate we cannot allow our individuals identified by Edison
In the final days of the 2017 Globe. Democratic Party to be tainted Councilman Ajay Patil as the mas-
campaign, some Edison voters A U.S. Postal Inspector last by the presence of someone like termind behind the racist flyer.
received a mailer promising to year identified a group of indi- Mahesh Bhagia who willingly fo- Grewal has also avoided com-
“Make Edison Great Again,” and viduals now known as the Edison mented anti-Asian racism for his ment on any connection between
alleging that the “Chinese and Eight —former Edison Dem- own political gain — Chairman the Edison flyer and one that
Indians are taking over our town.” ocratic Municipal Chairman McCabe must act to protect our showed up in Hoboken during
Earlier this week, Edison Shariq Ahmad; Board of Educa- party.” the same week nearly four years
Mayor Thomas Lankey and six tion President Jerry Shi; school Meanwhile, Assemblyman ago. Both flyers appear to have
members of the township coun- board member Mohin Patel; Erik Peterson (R-Franklin) is targeted a candidate of South
cil scolded Grewal for his failing Raj Bhagia, the brother of local accusing Attorney General Gur- Asian descent.
to investigate the unsolved mys- party; Aloysius Dsouza; Joseph bir Grewal of sidestepping his “I stand with the Edison
tery even after a detective from Dsouza; Patil and Poondi— as call for an investigation into a Asian community and against
his office told the local police having some involvement in the 40-month-old unsolved mystery those who terrorize with hate
chief in January 2018 to stand mailer, but it’s not clear whether involving a racist flyer in a 2017 and bigotry and will continue to
down because the attorney gen- the matter has spawned any oth- Edison local election and wants do so until every person involved
eral’s office was taking over the er investigations. prosecutors to convene a grand in this politically motivated hate
investigation, it added. Diehl said he and Gomez at- jury probe. “It is evident from crime is publicly identified and
Since then, Lankey, Coun- tended a November 5 meeting your response that you purposely brought to justice,” Peterson
cil President Robert Diehl, and with U.S. Postal Inspector David avoided addressing my sole con- said, according to the New Jer-
others have said they have not Comer where Patil admitted his cern which is your office’s failure sey Globe.

www.TheIndianEYE .com