New Delhi: An Indian-origin woman has been arrested in the United States and charged with making terroristic threats against the Mayor of California’s Bakersfield, a report said. At a city council meeting on Wednesday, the woman, identified as Riddhi Patel, directed threats towards officials, slamming them for not backing a ceasefire resolution for the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Viral video footage from the meeting captured Ms Patel’s alarming statements, where she expressed her desire for “oppressed minorities” to “guillotine” the city’s officials. She even invoked the name of Jesus Christ in her threats, claiming that even he would condemn them.
“I remind you that these holidays that we practice, that other people in the global south practice, believe in violent revolution against their oppressors, and I hope one day somebody brings the guillotine and kills all of you,” she said in her speech.
According to reports, Ms Patel’s threats were made during two separate speeches she delivered to the city council that evening. Initially, she voiced support for the ceasefire resolution but anticipated its rejection, condemning the council members as “horrible human beings”. In her subsequent address, she criticized the installation of additional security measures at the government building, such as metal detectors, characterizing them as attempts to “criminalize” protesters.
“You guys, those who vote to win in Bakersfield, parade Gandhi around and a Hindu holiday called Chaitra Navaratri that starts off this week. I remind you that these holidays that we practice, that other people in the global south practice, believe in violent revolution against their oppressors,” she said.
“We’ll see you at your house. We’ll murder you,” she ended her speech.
Mayor Karen Goh swiftly responded to Ms Patel’s threats, indicating to police officers present that action needed to be taken. Ms Patel was escorted out of the chambers and taken into custody by the police. Bakersfield Police have said that she faces 16 felony counts, including threatening with intent to terrorize and targeting city officials.
