Khalistanis attempt to burn down Indian consulate in SF; India seeks action
The incident did not cause any damage inside the diplomatic premises, but it is the second time in less than three months that Khalistanis have made the SF consulate a target
In what they claimed was an attempt to avenge the killing of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a designated terrorist, in Canada in June, violent Khalistani activists attacked and sought to burn down India’s consulate in San Francisco (SF) in the early hours of July 2 Pacific Time.
Watch: Khalistani Goons Vandalise Indian Consulate In San Francisco; U.S Condemns 'Criminal' Act I Details
The latest attack was brought to the attention of the highest rung of American national security and diplomatic apparatus in Washington DC, which instructed its agencies to immediately investigate the incident, step up security, and offer all assistance to Indian officials. The State Department termed it a criminal offense.
The incident did not cause any damage inside the diplomatic premises, but it is the second time in less than three months that Khalistanis have made the SF consulate a target.
In March, Khalistani activists had planted flags at the consulate, broken through the barricades, used flagpoles to attack the consulate, smashed windows and hit the doors.
Also Read:India to demarche Canada on Khalistanis targeting Indian diplomats
On Monday, a video posted on social media, titled “Violence Begets Violence” with the hashtag “Long
Live Khalistan”, depicted and celebrated the fire inside the consulate.
People familiar with the incident said that around 1:30am, two men, dressed in dark overalls which made them hard to recognise, came to the front gate of the consulate.
They painted pro-Khalistani graffiti on the walls and then used what appeared to be fuel cans to spray inflammable liquid inside the diplomatic premises. They set it alight, and within minutes, fled the scene.
Within six minutes of the incident, fire engines were on the spot and doused the fire immediately.
The entire incident lasted for less than ten minutes and there was no damage done either to the infrastructure of the consulate or harm caused to the diplomatic personnel and support staff.
By 2:30am, local police authorities had arrived at the consulate to make preliminary enquiries.
What helped was that after the attack by Khalistanis in March, India had erected grills and railings to beef up the security at the consulate.
Since the incident, given the diplomatic engagement that brought the event to the attention of the highest authorities in Washington, American security agencies, from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to Bureau of Diplomatic Security to the local SF police, have been in touch with Indian consulate authorities in San Francisco.
India has been cooperating with the investigation, sharing CCTV footage and details of active Khalistani groups and clues about the possible perpetrators.
Condemning the incident, Matthew Miller, the State Department spokesperson, tweeted, “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.”
India is clear that it wants to see action, not just sympathy, arrests of those involved in recent incidents, and preemptive measures by the US authorities to stop any such future attacks.
Given the Khalistani attack on the SF consulate in March, the harassment and attack against an Indian journalist in front of the Indian embassy in Washington DC, and now the attempted burning of the consulate, there is a clear pattern of criminal intent and action of Khalistani groups that has been established, people familiar with the developments indicated.
In addition, Khalistani groups have announced what they have termed a “Khalistan Freedom Rally” on July 8 to the Indian consulate in SF. They have put up pictures of the Indian ambassador to US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and Indian consul general in SF, TV Nagendra Prasad on the poster announcing the march, declaring them “Faces of Shaheed Nijjar’s Killers in San Francisco”.
Officials have brought the proposed event to the attention of the local American authorities, given the consistent tendency of these groups to engage in violence, arson, vandalism, and personal physical attacks.
Nijjar was the head of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen at a gurudwara in Canada’s British Columbia province on June 18. He was a designated terrorist in India, and KTF is a banned outfit.