Washington:
Washington-based Indian journalist Lalit Jha was physically assaulted and verbally abused by Khalistani supporters in Washington on Saturday afternoon while covering a pro-Khalistan protest outside the Indian embassy.
Mr Jha on Sunday thanked the US Secret Service for protecting and helping his work. He said he was hit on his left ear with two sticks by the Khalistani supporters. He also shared a video of the Khalistani supporters on his Twitter account.
“Thank you @SecretService 4 helping my protection 2 day 4 do my job otherwise I would have written this from the hospital. The gentleman below hit my left ear with these 2 sticks and earlier I had to call 9/11 and rush 2 police vans 4 security for fear of physical violence,” Mr Jha tweeted on Sunday.
“At one point I felt so threatened that I called 911. I saw Secret Service agents and told them about the incident,” Mr Jha told ANI, adding that the protesters took charge of the situation.
However, the journalist decided not to take any action against those who harassed him.
“The pro-Khalistan protesters in support of Amritpal (Singh) waved Khalistan flags and descended on the embassy in the presence of the US Secret Service. They even openly threatened to vandalize the embassy and threatened Indian Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Mr Jha told ANI.
Among the protesters were men of all ages wearing turbans chanting pro-Khalistan slogans. They came from different parts of the DC-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) area. The organizers used microphones to deliver speeches against India, in both English and Punjabi, and targeted the Punjab police for alleged human rights abuses.
Several demonstrations by Khalistan supporters have been held outside the Indian embassy and consulate in San Francisco. On March 20, the Indian consulate in San Francisco was also attacked.
Footage shared online showed a huge crowd waving Khalistan flags mounted on wooden poles, smashing glass doors and windows of the consulate building. They raised pro-Khalistan slogans as they broke through the makeshift security barriers erected by the city police and placed two Khalistan flags inside the premises.
The United States has strongly condemned the attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco by a group of separatists as absolutely unacceptable. The US has also pledged to defend the safety and security of such diplomatic facilities and the diplomats who work there.
“The United States condemns the attack on the Indian consulate and any attack on diplomatic facilities in the United States. We pledge to defend the safety and security of these facilities, as well as the diplomats who work there,” said a spokesman for the US Department of Defense. Foreign Affairs. ANI.
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Twitter that the US condemns the acts of violence against the Indian consulate in San Francisco. He further said that the US is committed to the safety and security of Indian diplomats.
He confirmed that the US State Department is in contact with local law enforcement agencies.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is being published from a syndicated feed.)