Singh

MEMORANDUM **

Rajinder Singh, a Sikh native and citizen of India, petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (BIA) dismissal of his appeal from the Immigration Judge’s (IJ) denial of his applications for asylum and withholding of deportation. We have jurisdiction pursuant to Section 242 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1252 . We review the BIA’s finding that Singh failed to meet the statutory requirements for asylum for substantial evidence, see Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. 478, 481 , 112 S.Ct. 812 , 117 L.Ed.2d 38 (1992), and we deny the petition.

I

Substantial evidence in the record supports the BIA’s determination that, assuming the truth of Singh’s testimony, he failed to demonstrate past persecution. Persecution is “the infliction of suffering or harm upon those who differ (in race, religion, or political opinion) in a way regarded as offensive.” Desir v. Ilchert, 840 F.2d 723 , 727 (9th Cir.1988) (quoting Kovac v. INS, 407 F.2d 102, 107 (9th Cir. 1969)). Whether Singh suffered persecution “is heavily fact-dependent, and is perhaps best answered by comparing the facts of [Singh’s] case with those of similar cases.” Singh v. INS, 134 F.3d 962,…