On March 25th, pro-Khalistan protesters gathered outside the Indian embassy in Washington to show support for Amritpal Singh. Lalit Jha, a Washington-based journalist, reported being physically attacked and verbally abused by Khalistani supporters while covering the protest. Jha claimed that he was hit on his left ear with two sticks by the protesters and thanked the US Secret Service for protecting him. He also tweeted a video of the incident and expressed his gratitude to the Secret Service. Jha said that he felt so threatened at one point that he called 911, but later spotted Secret Service officers and narrated the incident to them.
The pro-Khalistan protesters openly threatened to vandalize the embassy and also threatened Indian Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu. The protestors included turbaned men of all ages who raised pro-Khalistan slogans. Indian-American politician Ro Khanna condemned the attack and called it an assault on journalism. The incident comes amid recent vandalism of Indian missions in San Francisco and London.
In San Francisco, a group of pro-Khalistan protesters attacked and damaged the Indian Consulate last Sunday. The protesters broke open makeshift security barriers raised by the city police and installed two so-called Khalistani flags inside the Consulate premises. In London, protestors held a demonstration outside the Indian High Commission and hurled colored flares and water bottles towards the mission. Last Sunday, pro-Khalistan extremists smashed windows and also attempted to pull down the Tricolour from its flagpole at the mission.
The protests in Washington were organized by individuals from different parts of the DC-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) area who used microphones to make anti-India speeches both in English and Punjabi. They targeted the Punjab Police for alleged human rights violations. The incident is a concerning development for Indian officials as it marks another instance of violence against Indian missions abroad.
