Tit-for-tat: Taking lessons from UK neglect, US thwarts Khalistanis’ attack on Indian Embassy, scribe
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: As India warned the UK, Canada, and Australia last week with providing ‘reciprocal security’ at their diplomatic missions in New Delhi, the USA took the hint as its secret services foiled an attempted ‘attack’ on Indian Embassy in Washington by the pro-Khalistani militants on Saturday last week.
In a statement, the Indian Embassy condemned the attack on a senior journalist and thanked the US law-enforcement agencies for their prompt response, the media reported on Monday.
On Saturday, pro-Khalistani separatists in Washington DC staged a demonstration and attempted to attack the Indian Embassy, but the embassy called in the US Security Services which promptly thwarted their plan.
During the protest, some aggressive and abusive pro-Khalistani activists also tried to attack Indian Ambassador Taranjeet Singh Sandhu and senior journalist Lalit K Jha, the PTI correspondent in Washington, who was covering the protest. Timely intervention by the US officials saved him.
Jha said he was verbally intimidated and physically assaulted by Khalistan militants protesting outside the Indian Embassy, which drew a strong reaction from the mission. It said such activities underscore the violent and anti-social tendencies of these separatists who routinely engage in wanton violence and vandalism.
“We have seen disturbing visuals of a senior Indian journalist from the Press Trust of India being abused, threatened & assaulted physically while covering the so-called ‘Khalistan protest’ in Washington DC earlier today,” the Indian Embassy said in a statement.
“We understand that the journalist was first verbally intimidated, then physically assaulted, and fearing for his personal safety and well-being, had to call in law enforcement agencies, who responded promptly.”
The protesters not only obstructed the journalist by blocking his camera, placing the Khalistan flag on his face, and kept pushing him, but also threatened him with dire consequences.
Apprehending physical harm, the reporter called the 911 helpline and ran to the other side of the road for safety, looking for a police van.
The militants abused the reporter and wanted to know what he was going to report. The organizer backed off as the reporter complained to the police about the potentially harmful activities of the protesters, but other protesters hurled abuses against the journalist, used unparliamentary words, and attacked him with a Khalistan flagstaff on his left ear with a bang.
While they prevented the journalists from doing their work, some protesters filmed Jha covering their protest, took pictures, and asked provocative questions.
Several Indian Americans condemned the incident.
“This violence against @lalitkjha is outrageous and an assault on journalism. I condemn it in the strongest terms. Lalit is one of the fairest and most thoughtful journalists. Thank you to our security for protecting Lalit and the diplomats and consulate,” Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna tweeted.
The Washington, DC, incident occurred days after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned a senior US diplomat and firmly took up the recent case of vandalism at the San Francisco Consulate by the pro-Khalistani mob.
That was why the US Secret Service and local police quickly intercepted the group of pro-Khalistani elements who had crossed the road. They pulled a barrier between the embassy and the protesters and forced them to return to the area designated for the protest.
In the San Francisco incident, the pro-Khalistani separatists suddenly rushed past the security barriers into the consulate and tried to pull down the Indian National Flag, as some protesters incited violence, and broke windows and glasses of the embassy building.
The protesters included turbaned men of all ages who raised pro-Khalistan slogans. They came in from different parts of the DC-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) area. They shouted anti-India slogans and delivered speeches in English and Punjabi, targeting Punjab Police over alleged human rights violations.
They protested in response to the crackdown on pro-Khalistani separatist leader Amritpal Singh, which started on March 18 by the Punjab Police. Singh is still on the run.
