"Whatever events may have sparked the rioting, there is no excuse for such violent, destructive, and criminal behavior," Lee wrote in a statement on his Facebook page early Monday.
The violence sparked debate among Singaporeans on social media about issues of overcrowding and the increase of migrant workers hired for Singapore's construction sector and menial jobs.
Little India is an area popular among Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Nepali expatriates.
It has scores of restaurants, grocery shops and a mall selling food and other items for people from those countries.
On Sundays, the area is especially crowded with South Asian workers.
