Indian consulate attack: US lawmakers, Indian-American bodies condemn incident, seek thorough probe
Indian consulate in San Francisco and called for a thorough probe into the incident so that the perpetrators are brought to justice. While the right to protest is ingrained in the US Constitution, no one has the right to engage in violence, they said in separate statements and tweets on Friday. They also condemned the threats issued to Indian diplomats, including India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, by separatist Sikhs and called on the Biden administration to ensure safety of foreign diplomats.
A video by Khalistan supporters, dated July 2 and posted on Twitter, showed the act of arson at the Indian consulate in San Francisco. The video, with the words «violence begets violence» emblazoned over it, also showed news articles related to the death of Canada-based Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, one of India's most-wanted terrorists who carried a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Canada last month.
Congressman Frank Pallone said foreign diplomats shouldn't have to fear for their lives while on American soil. «I hope the administration will help provide safety and security moving forward,» he said. In a tweet, Congressman Gregory Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said, «The right to protest is ingrained in the US Constitution, but no one has the right to engage in violence, including against diplomatic facilities.» Diplomacy thrives on mutual respect, which can never coexist with such acts of violence, said Congressman Jonathan Jackson.
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