State Senator James Sanders Jr. said: "It is absolutely disgraceful that a 70-year-old senior who is also a member of the Sikh community was approached and beaten without provocation, all while he was taking a morning walk in Richmond Hill. This man was new to our country. He had only been here for two weeks and this is not the type of welcome we want people to think occurs when they visit our country or our community. I condemn this shameful attack, which is being investigating as a hate crime, and hope that the perpetrators are brought to justice."