US Condemns Violence at Indian Diplomatic Facilities by Khalistan Separatists

The United States on Monday strongly denounced the violence perpetrated by Khalistan separatists outside Indian diplomatic facilities in the US.

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

The US State Department expressed grave concern over the use of violence and the threat of violence and outlined that even though the nations respects rights bestowed to citizens under First Amendment but pointed out that the manner of protest was not acceptable.

“The United States government condemns recent violent incidents that have taken place during protests at Indian diplomatic facilities in the United States,” the spokesperson said.

“The Department supports the First Amendment rights of protestors in the United States to engage in free speech. However, violence, or the threat of violence is never an acceptable form of protest,” the spokesperson further added.

The US responded strongly after the separatists threatened the Indian embassy and Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, a Sikh himself, during their protest on Saturday.

Hooligans from the Khalistan separatist movement attacked the Indian consulate in San Francisco and videos shared on social media showed protesters chanting slogans in support of controversial preacher and Khalistan backer Amritpal Singh.

They heckled the consulate staff and also chanted anti-India slogans

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

A protester also directly threatened Sandhu saying he will face a similar fate to what former president Giani Zail Singh faced back in 1994.

The spokesperson also commented on the attack carried out by the separatists on Press Trust of India’s Lalit K Jha.

Earlier, the Union ministry of external affairs urged Washington to take appropriate measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents that took place earlier this month.

The US State Department said the local law enforcement agencies are looking into the matter.

Two protests were staged by the Khalistan separatists this month – one in Washington, the other in San Francisco.

The US State Department spokesperson also pointed out that attacks against journalists are never acceptable and condemned the violence against a member of the media for doing their job.

The Khalistan separatists convened outside the Washington embassy last week. The separatists were from District of Columbia (DC), Maryland and Virginia and from parts of Philadelphia.

The protesters foul mouthed members of the media, consulate staff, the Indian government and the Punjab police and the vandalized the premises by breaking doors and windows of the consulate building.

“Consistent with our Vienna Convention obligations, the Department is committed to taking all appropriate steps, including coordination with federal and state law enforcement authorities, to protect the safety and security of these facilities and the diplomats who work within them,” the US state department spokesperson said.

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