The Indian consulate in San Francisco was vandalised allegedly by Khalistan supporters on Saturday. No one was injured and the damage was limited, said reports.
This is the second attack on the consulate in San Francisco by Khalistani supporters this year. The act was ''strongly condemned' by the United States.
A report by a local channel, Diya TV, said Khalistanis radicals set the Indian consulate on fire between 1:30 am and 2:30 am. But, it was quickly doused by the San Francisco fire department. A video, purportedly showing the building on fire, was also circulated by the channel.
A poster being shared on social media says that a "Khalistan Freedom Rally" will be organised on July 8 that will start in Berkeley, California and end at the Indian embassy in San Francisco.
The U.S. 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 U.S. is a criminal offense.
— Matthew Miller (@StateDeptSpox) July 3, 2023
Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the US State Department, took to Twitter to protest against the incident. "The U.S. 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 U.S. is a criminal offence," his tweet read.
The first time the consulate came under attack was during the manhunt for controversial Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh. The supporters of Singh then staged a protest and damaged the consulate. The incident drew a sharp reaction from India.
Besides the consulate in the US, the Indian High Commission in the UK was also vandalised by Khalistani supporters then. The Indian flag atop the Commission was pulled down by Khalistani supporter Avtar Singh Khanda. A self-styled chief of the banned Khalistan Liberation Force and a close associate of arrested Amritpal Singh, Khanda recently died of blood cancer.
Recently, posters had emerged in Canada, linking Indian diplomats to the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar and branding them as 'killers in Toronto'. India has protested against this and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India has asked its partner countries such as Canada, the UK and the US not to give space to "extremist Khalistani ideology" as it is "not good" for relations.
He added that the issue will be raised with the government of that country. "We have already requested our partner countries like Canada, the US, the UK and Australia where sometimes Khalistani activities happen, not to give space to Khalistanis. Because their (Khalistanis) radical, extremist thinking is neither good for us nor for them nor our relations," the minister said.
"We will raise the issue of posters with those governments. I think it would have already been done by now as it happened two to three days earlier," Jaishankar said.
Last month, India slammed Canada after visuals surfaced on social media of a tableau in Brampton that reportedly celebrated the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi. "Canada's response to the Khalistani issue appeared to be constrained by its "vote bank compulsions" and India will have to respond if the activities impinge on its national security and integrity," Jaishankar had said on the issue.
