Pro-Khalistan protesters attack Indian Consulate in US after police crackdown on Amritpal Singh, video surfaces

Days after the Punjab Police launched a crackdown against pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh in Punjab, incidents of protests outside the Indian Consulate in London and the US have emerged. 

A group of pro-Khalistan protesters on Sunday attacked and damaged the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, US. The incident prompted sharp condemnation from Indian Americans who demanded immediate action against those responsible for it.

"We are also appalled by the complete law and order failure in both in London as well as in SFO where a few radicalised separatists attacked India's diplomatic missions," Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) said after pro-Khalistani protesters attacked the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. Videos of the incident have also surfaced on the internet.

Unacceptable
Khalistani miscreants attacked the Indian consulate in San Francisco after Indian officials removed
Khalistani flags from consulate building @POTUS @VP @SecBlinken ,it’s shocking that no action taken by your Govt till now@SFPD Are you sleeping @IndianEmbassyUS pic.twitter.com/p5Wdu2LRdg

— Major Surendra Poonia (@MajorPoonia) March 20, 2023

The protesters broke open the makeshift security barriers raised by the city police. They installed two so-called Khalistani flags inside the Consulate premises. Two consulate personnel soon removed these flags.

Soon thereafter, a group of angry protesters entered the consulate premises and started hitting the door and windows with iron rods. There was no immediate comment from San Francisco police on the incident.

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Community leader Ajay Bhutoria strongly condemned the attack by pro-Khalistan protesters on the Consulate of India building in San Francisco. "This act of violence is not only a threat to the diplomatic relations between the United States and India but also an attack on the peace and harmony of our community," he said.

In a statement, Bhutoria urged local authorities to take immediate action against those responsible for this attack and bring them to justice. "I also call on all members of our community to unite and promote peace and harmony," he said.

FIIDS said it is extremely concerning to see that the UK and the US have failed to fulfil the commitments as per Vienna Convention to protect diplomatic missions.

"We would urge law and order institutions like Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the FBI as well as the CIA to ensure that terrorism finds no place and support in the United States of America," FIIDS said.

"It said that Pakistan's spy agency ISI is behind instigating and funding Sikh radicalisation with false propaganda. "We ask Indian Americans including Sikh-majority to rise against the extremism," FIIDS said.

In Canberra, Khalistan supporters gathered outside Australian parliament to protest against police crackdown on radical preacher Amritpal Singh and his associates in Punjab.

(With inputs from PTI)