Given the ongoing protests by alleged Khalistan supporters in the US, the Government there has condemned recent violent incidents that have taken place during protests at Indian diplomatic facilities in the US. It also termed that violence, or the threat of violence is never an acceptable form of protest and is of “grave concern”.

“The US Government condemns recent violent incidents that have taken place during protests at Indian diplomatic facilities in the US,” said State Department spokesperson.

“The Department supports the First Amendment rights of protestors in the US to engage in free speech. However, violence, or the threat of violence is never an acceptable form of protest,” the spokesperson further said.  This response late Monday came after the protesters  threatened the Indian embassy and Ambassador  Taranjit Singh Sandhu.

The protesters threatened the Indian embassy and Indian Ambassador to the United States  Sandhu during their protest. While rallying outside the mission, a protestor in his speech made a direct threat to the Ambassador that the “hypocrisy” will come to an end and that the Ambassador could face a similar fate to what former president of India Zail Singh faced back in 1994.

“Violence or the threat of violence against diplomatic facilities and personnel in the United States is a grave concern and will not be tolerated,” US Department of State spokesperson told ANI.

Multiple incidents of protests by supporters of Khalistan have been staged outside the Indian embassy and the San Francisco Consulate. Earlier this week, the Indian Consulate in San Francisco was also attacked on March 20.

Recently a video surfaced on social media in which pro-Khalistani protestors gathered at the consulate in San Francisco, shouting slogans in support of Amritpal and heckling staff as they abandoned the diplomatic mission.

The State Department and the local law enforcement agencies are in touch with local law enforcement on the next steps in this matter. India too lodged a strong protest with the US Charge d’Affaires in Delhi over the incident of vandalism at the Consulate General in San Francisco.

The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi said the US Government was asked to take appropriate measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents that took place earlier this month.

The US Department of State spokesperson termed that violence or the threat of violence against diplomatic facilities and personnel in the US a “grave concern”.

“Violence or the threat of violence against diplomatic facilities and personnel in the United States is a grave concern and will not be tolerated,” the spokesperson said.

The US Department of State spokesperson further said, “Consistent with our Vienna Convention obligations, the Department is committed to taking all appropriate steps, including coordination with federal and state law enforcement authorities, to protect the safety and security of these facilities and the diplomats who work within them.”

When asked about journalists being abused by Khalistani supporters, the US Department of State spokesperson said, “Attacks against journalists are never acceptable. We condemn any incidence of violence against a member of the media for doing their job, and any act of vandalism against diplomatic facilities.”

Washington DC-based Indian journalist Lalit K Jha was physically attacked and verbally abused by Khalistan supporters in Washington while covering a pro-Khalistan protest outside the Indian Embassy on Saturday afternoon. The Indian embassy in the US has condemned the incident.