US Representatives Condemn Attacks On Indian Consulate By Khalistani Radicals

A number of US legislators expressed their strong disapproval of the recent arson attempt and violent rhetoric directed towards Indian diplomats, notably Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu.

Congressmen Shri Thanedar, Rich McCormick, and Brian Fitzpatrick, representing Michigan's 13th district, Georgia's 6th Congressional district, and Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional district respectively, registered their outrage on Twitter regarding the actions of pro-Khalistani groups.

It comes days after a group of Khalistan radicals tried to set the Indian consulate in San Francisco on fire.

"I condemn in the strongest possible terms the attacks at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. Violence and attempts to instil terror are unacceptable in democracy," tweeted Thanedar. McCormick said the attack on the Indian Consulate in San Francisco is 'unacceptable'. He tweeted, "This attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco is vile and unacceptable. Americans stand by our allies and our patriotic Indian-American community."

Rep Fitzpatrick called for appropriate legal action against those involved in the incident. Taking to his official Twitter handle, he wrote, "This kind of violence is lawless and unacceptable. I firmly condemn the repeated hateful attacks on the Indian Consulate and look forward to those involved being held accountable with appropriate legal action."

Condemning the attempted arson attack on the Indian Consulate by pro-Khalistanis and their ensuing rally on July 8, India Caucus said free speech is not a license to provoke violence. Co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on India, Ro Khanna and Michael Waltz, in a press release, said, "As the co-chairs of the India Caucus, we strongly condemn the attempted arson and vandalism at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco and the posters circulating on social media with violent rhetoric aimed at Indian diplomats, including Ambassador Sandhu."

They also appealed to the US State Department to investigate the damage and take necessary action. "We support the right to free speech and freedom of expression for every American, but that is not a license to vandalize property or incite violence. Violence against diplomatic facilities is a criminal offence and will not be tolerated. We urge the State Department to coordinate with law enforcement in their investigation of the damage at the Indian Consulate expeditiously and hold those involved accountable," the release added.

A group of Khalistan radicals made an attempt to set the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on fire on July 2 around 1.40 am (local time), sources told ANI. A video of the incident was verified by sources who told ANI the fire was suppressed quickly by the San Francisco Fire Department.

On the other hand, Indian Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Dr TV Nagendra Prasad, Consul General, Consulate General of India, San Francisco, were targeted in a poster purportedly circulated by Sikh extremists, who accused them of playing a role in the June killing of Khalistan Tiger Force chief and designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.

India has reportedly expressed its apprehensions regarding the safety of its diplomats due to the circulation of posters in Canada, which included information about an upcoming pro-Khalistan rally scheduled for July 8. These posters contained explicit threats directed towards the Indian ambassador to Canada and the consulate general in Toronto. Furthermore, a similar poster disclosing the rally date was also discovered in San Francisco.