Hindus Denounce Pro-Paul Ad Attacking Huntsman, Mary Kaye Huntsman Calls Ad 'Disgusting

A controversial web ad released on Youtube Wednesday by "NHLiberty4Paul" attacking Jon Huntsman's values has already drawn criticism from both Huntsman and Ron Paul. Now other parties stereotyped in the offensive video are speaking out.

The ad cuts back and forth between video of Huntsman speaking Chinese and footage of him with two of his daughters that he and his wife adopted from China and India. In between footage and photos, the ad presents questions like “China Jon’s daughters: even adopted?”,  “The Manchurian candidate. What’s he hiding?”, and “American values? Or Chinese?” before closing with "Vote Ron Paul."

Jon Huntsman has called the ad stupid, and Ron Paul has denounced it, with his campaign telling The Boston Globe that he has no connection to the video and does not know who made it. Now Hindu Americans are also speaking out, in particular objection to one image presented in the ad:

The image of the Huntsman's adopted Indian daughter Asha Bharati with her father, following the question "Share our values? A man of faith?", has infuriated the Hindu American Foundation.

"This deplorable ad is blatantly racist and religiously intolerant, and crosses all lines of acceptable political discourse," Suhag Shukla, the foundation's managing director and legal counsel, told CNN Saturday.

"Instead of vilifying Governor Huntsman, he should be applauded for being open-minded enough to raise his adopted daughter as a Hindu," she said.

In the photo both Huntsman and Asha are wearing a red tikka, a mark associated with the sacred and often seen on foreheads at Hindu ceremonies and temples.

Huntsman's wife Mary Kaye has also come out in strong criticism of the way her husband's record, and the Huntsmans' adopted daughters, are portrayed in the ad.

"Whoever did it is absolutely disgusting, and there is no place for anything like that.  We would never do anything like that," Mary Kaye told The Daily Beast. "Jon will always be fair. He may contrast where he is and where another candidate is, but he will never stoop low and go to the core of somebody's character."

Rep. Paul told CNN that he disavowed the ad and had no control of his supporters' actions.

"Of course I denounce it ... but people do that, and they do it in all campaigns," Paul said.

See the controversial ad yourself: