As he was covering a pro-Khalistan protest outside the Indian Embassy on Saturday afternoon, Indian journalist Lalit Jha, who lives in Washington, DC, was physically attacked and verbally abused by pro-Khalistan fans.
Jha thanked the US Secret Service on Sunday for keeping him safe and assisting him in his work. He claimed that two sticks were used by pro-Khalistan supporters to strike him in the left ear. On his Twitter account, he also posted a video of the Khalistani supporters.
“Thank you @SecretService 4 my protection 2day 4 helping do my job, otherwise I would have been writing this from hospital. The gentleman below hit my left ear with these 2 sticks & earlier I had to call 9/11 & rushed 2 police van 4 safety fearing physical assault,” Jha tweeted on Sunday.
“At one point I felt so threatened that I called 911. I then spotted Secret Service officers and narrated the incident to them,” Jha told ANI, adding the protesters took charge of the situation.
Pro-Khalistan protestors in support of Amrit Pal waved Khalistan flags
“The pro-Khalistan protestors in support of Amrit Pal waved Khalistan flags and descended upon the embassy in the presence of the US Secret Service. They even openly threatened to vandalize the embassy and threatened the Indian Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu,” Jha told ANI.
Pro-Khalistan slogans were chanted by turbaned men of all ages among the protesters. They arrived from various locations in the DC-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) metropolitan area. The organisers criticised the Punjab Police for alleged human rights violations and used speakers to deliver anti-India comments in both English and Punjabi.
Khalistan activists have often held demonstrations outside the Indian embassy and the San Francisco consulate. The Indian Embassy in San Francisco was similarly stormed on March 20 earlier this week.
Images posted online depict a large mob using Khalistan flags atop wooden poles to break the embassy building’s glass doors and windows. They climbed through additional security barriers set up by the city police and raised two Khalistani flags inside the building while shouting in favour of Khalistan.
Attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco
The attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco by a group of separatist Sikhs was strongly condemned as being wholly unacceptable by the United States.
The Indian Consulate attack in San Francisco, as well as any attack on diplomatic facilities inside the US, have been denounced by the US. The US has vowed to protect both these facilities’ safety and security as well as the diplomats who work there.
“The United States condemns the attack against the Indian Consulate and any attack against diplomatic facilities within the United States. We pledge to defend the safety and security of these facilities as well as the diplomats who work within them,” US State Department spokesperson told ANI.
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