Indian Journalist Attacked During Pro-Khalistan Protest Near Embassy in US, Shares Footage of Assault

An Indian journalist on Sunday claimed he was physically attacked and verbally abused by Khalistani supporters in Washington while covering a pro-Khalistan protest outside the Indian Embassy.

Lalit Jha, a Washington-based journalist, said he was hit on his left ear with two sticks by the Khalistani supporters and thanked the US Secret Service for protecting him.

In a tweet, Jha shared a video of the Khalistani supporters and wrote, “Thank you @SecretService 4 my protection 2day 4 helping do my job, otherwise I would have been writing this from hospital. The gentleman below hit my left ear with these 2 sticks & earlier I had to call 9/11 & rushed 2 police van 4 safety fearing physical assault.”

“At one point I felt so threatened that I called 911. I then spotted Secret Service officers and narrated the incident to them,” Jha told ANI.

He further said that pro-Khalistan protesters in support of Amritpal Singh waved Khalistan flags and descended upon the Indian embassy in the presence of the US Secret Service.

The supporters openly threatened to vandalize the embassy and threatened the Indian Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Jha added.

The report said that the protestors in Washington included turbaned men of all ages who raised pro-Khalistan slogans.

Indian-American politician Ro Khanna condemned the attack and called it an assault on journalism.

“This violence against @lalitkjha is outrageous and an assault on journalism. I condemn it in the strongest terms. Lalit is one of the fairest and most thoughtful journalists. Thank you to our security for protecting Lalit and the diplomats and consulate,” Ro Khanna said in a tweet.

They came from different parts of the DC-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) area and were using microphones to make anti-India speeches both in English and Punjabi and targeted the Punjab Police for alleged human rights violations.

The incident comes amid recent vandalism of Indian mission in San Francisco and London.

A group of pro-Khalistan protesters attacked and damaged the Indian Consulate in San Francisco last Sunday. Raising pro-Khalistan slogans, the protesters broke open the makeshift security barriers raised by the city police and installed two so-called Khalistani flags inside the Consulate premises. Two consulate personnel soon removed these flags.

In London, the protestors held demonstration outside the Indian High Commission in London on Wednesday and hurled coloured flares and water bottles towards the mission. Last Sunday, pro-Khalistan extremists smashed windows and also attempted to pull down the Tricolour from its flagpole at the mission.

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