Indian consulate in San Francisco set on fire by Khalistani supporters; US 'strongly condemns’

Pro-Khalistan supporters vandalised and set Indian consulate in San Francisco on fire, drawing “strong condemnation” from the United States on Tuesday.

According to Diya TV, an American broadcast television network, the Khalistanis supporters released a video dated 2 July related to the act of violence.

ARSON ATTEMPT AT SF INDIAN CONSULATE: #DiyaTV has verified with @CGISFO @NagenTV that a fire was set early Sunday morning between 1:30-2:30 am in the San Francisco Indian Consulate. The fire was suppressed quickly by the San Francisco Department, damage was limited and no… pic.twitter.com/bHXNPmqSVm

— Diya TV – 24/7 * Free * Local (@DiyaTV) July 3, 2023

The Khalistanis radicals set the Indian consulate on fire between 1:30 am and 2:30 am on Sunday. But it was quickly doused by the San Francisco fire department, the channel reported, adding, that the damage was limited and no staffers were harmed.

Local, state and federal authorities have been notified, said the report.

Taking to Twitter, Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the US State Department, on Tuesday “strongly condemned” the incident saying vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the US is a criminal offense.

“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,” Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the US State Department 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.

— Matthew Miller (@StateDeptSpox) July 3, 2023

In March, a group of pro-Khalistani protesters had attacked and damaged the Indian consulate in San Francisco, prompting sharp condemnation from the Indian government and India-Americans.

Raising pro-Khalistan slogans, the protesters broke open the makeshift security barriers erected by the city police and installed two ‘Khalistani flags’ inside the Consulate premises. Two consulate personnel soon removed these flags.

The attack on the Indian consulate came hours after pro-Khalistani supporters pulled down the Indian tricolour flying atop the Indian high commission in London.

On Monday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India will take up the issue of Khalistanis threatening Indian diplomats in posters circulated in Canada with the Trudeau government, and also talk to other partner countries where such issues keeps cropping up.

Khalistan extremists are planning to take out a protest march to Indian embassies in Toronto and Vancouver on 8 July after deliberately trying to blame Indian diplomats and security agencies for the killing of designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

The 45-year-old Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief was killed in an inter-gang warfare on June 19 in Sikh-dominated Surrey town in Vancouver.

Jaishankar said that India has requested its partner countries including Canada, UK and the US to not give space to the Khalistanis as it will affect their relationship.

“We have requested our partner countries like Canada, the United States, the UK and Australia not to give space to the Khalistanis. This will affect our relations. We will raise this poster issue with the government of these countries,” said the EAM.

With inputs from agencies

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