HOBOKEN -- For the second time in a week in New Jersey, a racist flier has been circulated anonymously attacking a candidate.

In Hoboken on Friday night, fliers were placed on car windshields with the message "Don't let TERRORISM take over our town!" above a picture of a Sikh mayoral candidate, Ravi Bhalla, wearing a turban.

The fliers appear to have been a modified version of a mailer from the Michael DeFusco mayoral campaign that was sent out previously claiming Bhalla had an alleged conflict of interest, which appears on the ad in smaller print.

DeFusco condemned the fliers in a statement, saying his campaign had nothing to do with the modified flier and has contacted local and county police to investigate.

Hoboken Police Chief Kenneth Ferrante said his department is investigating the distribution as a potential bias crime, including bias intimidation or harassment.

"Looking at the law, it could touch on that," Ferrante said. "It's awful conduct whoever was the person behind it, and illegal conduct," Ferrante said. "I was made aware of it last night at approximately 10 p.m. and our detectives immediately began an investigation."

A photo of Michael DeFusco's earlier mayoral campaign flyer.

The fliers were concentrated in mid-town section of the Mile-Square City, in the area of Hudson Street, near the waterfront, according to Ferrante, who said he did not know how many had been circulated.

"I called Councilman Bhalla tonight to assure him that although we disagree on many issues, we can stand united against this kind of racism infecting our city," said DeFusco, a Democrat who would be Hoboken's first openly gay mayor if he wins.

Bhalla, who would be the city's first Sikh mayor if elected, responded to the flier on social media Saturday, saying that "we won't let hate win."

"I want people to know Hob is a welcoming community where my wife & I are proud to raise our children," he said in a series of tweets. "No matter your race, ethnicity you are welcome here in our City. As Mayor, I will work hard to keep it that way. At time w/ President seeking to divide us, it is critical we come together as a community and stand up for American values."

Both Bhalla and DeFusco are sitting councilmen. In total, six are vying for the mayoral seat next week.

The ad comes two days after anti-Indian and anti-Chinese campaign mailers were mailed to residents in Edison, New Jersey's fifth-largest municipality where nearly half the population is Asian-American.

The "Make Edison Great Again" flier, which had the picture of two Asian board of education candidates with a "deport" stamp on a part of their faces, drew national attention and responses from a number of politicians and groups.

In a statement, city council president Jen Giattino said of Hoboken incident, "This reprehensible act is completely unacceptable. There is no room for this kind of hateful and cowardly act in our election. We may differ in many of our views in this election, but I know that we all agree that this type of tactic has no place in our society."

Placing fliers or other campaign or commercial literature on car windshields is a violation of Hoboken's local ordinance, according to Ferrante.

NJ Advance Media reporter Steve Strunsky contributed to this article.

Craig McCarthy may be reached at 732-372-2078 or at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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