- In a second attack within five months, the Indian consulate in San Francisco was again attacked by Khalistani extremists.
- Sikh extremists in US and Canada blame India for the death of designated terrorist and Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who died last month in Canada’s Vancouver.
- The spokesperson for the US State Department, condemned the attack and tweeted that attacking a diplomatic facility in the US was a criminal offence.
- This incident occurred just months after a similar attack on the consulate in March, which resulted in severe criticism from both the Indian government and the Indian-American community.
The Indian consulate in San Francisco was again attacked by Khalistani extremists. In a second attack within five months, the extremists briefly set the consulate on fire, before it was promptly suppressed by the San Francisco Fire Department. The incident has drawn condemnation from the US State Department. Some videos of the incident have been circulating on social media, although the news agency couldn’t verify the authenticity of the video.
As reported by a TV, the consulate was attacked on Sunday between 1:30 am to 2:30 am (local time). The damage was limited, and no Indian personnel was injured. Another news agency reported that the Indian side has already informed local, state, and federal authorities about the attack.
Sikh extremists in US and Canada blame India for the death of designated terrorist and Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who died last month in Canada’s Vancouver. The 45-year-old Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief was reportedly killed in inter-gang warfare on July 19. According to Hindustan Times, Nijjar had close links with the Khalistani terrorist organization Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), which is led by a US-based designated terrorist.
Following the incident, a poster was released by Sikh extremists targeting the Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Dr. TV Nagendra Prasad, Consul General, Consulate General of India, San Francisco.
Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the US State Department, condemned the attack and tweeted that attacking a diplomatic facility in the US was a criminal offence.
This incident occurred just months after a similar attack on the consulate in March, which resulted in severe criticism from both the Indian government and the Indian-American community. The protesters, chanting pro-Khalistan slogans, managed to breach the makeshift security barriers set up by the local police and proceeded to place two Khalistani flags inside the Consulate premises. However, these flags were promptly removed by consulate personnel.
Interestingly, this assault on the Indian consulate coincided with another incident in London, where pro-Khalistani supporters forcefully took down the Indian national flag that was hoisted at the Indian high commission.
(With inputs from agencies)
