The attack on the Indian Consulate in San Francisco by a group of Sikhs advocating for the separation of Khalistan has been strongly condemned by the United States. The protesters, who raised pro-Khalistan slogans, broke through makeshift security barriers erected by the police and placed two Khalistani flags inside the Consulate premises. The flags were soon removed by consulate personnel.
Subsequently, a group of angry protesters entered the consulate and started attacking the door and windows with iron rods. John Kirby, the National Security Council Coordinator for strategic communications at the White House, expressed his strong condemnation of the incident during a daily news conference, stating that such vandalism is unacceptable.
The State Department's diplomatic security service is working with local authorities to investigate the incident and hold those responsible accountable for their actions. The department issued a statement asserting that violence against diplomatic facilities within the US is a punishable crime and that the security and safety of these facilities and their staff is a priority.
The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum also strongly condemned the attack, emphasizing that while the right to peaceful assembly and protest is sacrosanct, violence and vandalism will not be condoned or tolerated.
