DOS deplores attempted arson at India House in San Francisco by pro-Khalistan

Anjali Sharma

GG News Bureau

WASHINGTON, 5th July. US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Monday said in a tweet that the US has strongly condemned the reported vandalism and attempted arson by pro-Khalistan supporters against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Sunday

Miller tweeted “The US strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the US is a criminal offense.”

According to local authorities and sources, around 1:40 AM on Sunday, a group of Khalistan radicals made an attempt to set the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on fire.

A video of the incident was verified by sources said that the fire was suppressed quickly by the San Francisco Fire Department.

US official called the attack nothing less than a “terror act” that no major damages or staffers were harmed.

The Local San Francisco police department, special diplomatic security personnel, and state and federal authorities were notified and immediately began investigating the incident.

There have been several rounds of meetings with police and administration officials after the incident that prompted sharp and immediate action against those responsible for the incident.

Indian Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Dr TV Nagendra Prasad, Consul General, Consulate General of India, San Francisco, have been targeted in a poster purportedly circulated by Sikh extremists who have accused them of playing a role in the June killing of Khalistan Tiger Force chief and designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India has requested partner countries like Canada, the UK, and Australia not to give space to the Khalistanis as these radical extremist ideologies.

Khalistani posters in Canada named Indian diplomats, Jaishankar said, “We have requested our partner countries, like Canada, UK, Australia, US that they should not give space to these Khalistanis. These radical extremist ideologies aren’t good for us, them, or our ties. Will raise the issue of these posters.”

SF consulate has come under attack before. Raising pro-Khalistan slogans, several protesters broke open the makeshift security barriers raised by the SF city police and installed two so-called Khalistani flags inside the Consulate premises in March.

Two consulate personnel removed these flags.

US government condemned the violent incidents that took place during protests at Indian diplomatic facilities in the US, termed that violence, or the threat of violence is never an acceptable form of protest and is of “grave concern.”

US Department of State responded after pro-Khalistan supporters in the US threatened the Indian embassy and Indian Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu during a protest staged outside the Indian mission in Washington.

While rallying outside the mission, a protestor in his speech made a direct threat to the Ambassador that the “hypocrisy” will come to an end and that the Ambassador could face a similar fate to what former president of India Zail Singh faced back in 1994.

US Department of State spokesperson said that “Violence or the threat of violence against diplomatic facilities and personnel in the United States is a grave concern and will not be tolerated.”

Multiple incidents of protests by supporters of Khalistan have been staged outside the Indian embassy and the San Francisco Consulate, no action against any person or group has been taken as yet.

The extremist Sikh group are planning to rally outside the Indian missions in the US on July 8, as per the sources and news media reported.