Washington-primarily based totally Indian journalist Lalit Jha turned into bodily attacked and verbally abused via way of means of Khalistan supporters in Washington even as he turned into protecting a pro-Khalistan protest out of doors the Indian Embassy on Saturday afternoon. The Indian embassy withinside the US has condemned the incident. Mr Jha on Sunday thanked US Secret Service for shielding him, and supporting him do his job. He stated he turned into hit on his left ear with sticks via way of means of the Khalistan supporters. He additionally shared a video of the Khalistan supporters on his Twitter handle.
“Thank you @SecretService four my safety 2day four supporting do my job, in any other case I might were penning this from hospital. The gentleman underneath hit my left ear with those 2 sticks & in advance I had to name 9/11 & rushed 2 police van four protection fearing bodily assault,” Mr Jha tweeted on Sunday.
“At one factor I felt so threatened that I referred to as 911. I then noticed Secret Service officials and narrated the incident to them,” Mr Jha instructed ANI, including that the protesters took price of the situation. However, the journalist determined to take no motion towards folks who heckled him.
“The pro-Khalistan protesters in assist of Amritpal (Singh) waved Khalistan flags and descended upon the embassy withinside the presence of americaA Secret Service. They even brazenly threatened to vandalize the embassy and threatened the Indian Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu,” Mr Jha instructed ANI.
The protesters covered turbaned guys of every age who raised pro-Khalistan slogans. They got here in from distinct elements of the DC-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) area. The organisers used microphones to make anti-India speeches each in English and Punjabi and focused the Punjab Police for alleged human rights violations.
Condemning the incident, the Indian embassy stated in a statement, “We condemn any such grave and unwarranted assault on a senior journalist. Such sports best underscore the violent and anti-social dispositions of the so-referred to as `Khalistani protestors’ and their supporters, who robotically have interaction in wanton violence and vandalism.”
“We have visible worrying visuals of a senior Indian journalist from the Press Trust of India being abused, threatened & assaulted bodily even as protecting so-referred to as ‘Khalistan protest’ in Washington DC in advance today,” the Indian embassy stated. The Indian embassy additionally thanked the regulation enforcement organizations for his or her spark off reaction withinside the matter.
“We recognize that the journalist turned into first verbally intimidated, then bodily assaulted, and fearing for his non-public protection and well-being, had to name in regulation enforcement organizations, who replied promptly,” the clicking launch similarly stated.
Multiple occasions of protests via way of means of supporters of Khalistan were staged out of doors the Indian embassy and the San Francisco Consulate. The Indian Consulate in San Francisco turned into additionally attacked on March 20.
Visuals shared on line confirmed a massive mob brandishing Khalistan flags installed on wood poles, the use of them to destroy glass doorways and home windows of the consulate building. They raised pro-Khalistan slogans as they broke thru the makeshift safety obstacles raised via way of means of the metropolis police and established Khalistan flags withinside the premises.
The United States strongly condemned the assault at the Indian consulate in San Francisco via way of means of a set of separatists, terming it truly unacceptable. The US has additionally pledged to protect the protection and safety of such diplomatic centers and the diplomats who paintings there.
“The United States condemns the assault towards the Indian Consulate and any assault towards diplomatic centers withinside the United States. We pledge to protect the protection and safety of those centers in addition to the diplomats who paintings inside them,” a US State Department spokesperson instructed ANI.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated on Twitter that americaA condemns the acts of violence towards the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. He similarly stated that americaA is devoted to the protection and safety of Indian diplomats. Heshowed that americaA State Department is in contact with the nearby regulation enforcementauthorities.