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After pulling down Indian flag in London, Khalistan supporters attack Indian Consulate in San Francisco

A screengrab of the video showing Khalistani supporter outside Indian Consulate in San Francisco

A group of pro-Khalistani protesters on Sunday attacked and damaged the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, PTI reported.

The act prompted sharp condemnation from Indian-Americans who demanded immediate action against those responsible for it.

“We are also appalled by the complete law and order failure in both in London as well as in SFO where a few radicalised separatists attacked India’s diplomatic missions,” Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) said after pro-Khalistani protesters attacked the Indian Consulate in San Francisco.

Raising pro-Khalistan slogans, the protesters broke open the makeshift security barriers raised by the city police and installed two Khalistani flags inside the Consulate premises. Two consulate personnel soon removed these flags.

Soon thereafter, a group of angry protesters entered the consulate premises and started hitting the door and windows with the rods that they had in their hand, the news agency report said.

Earlier on Sunday, India summoned the British deputy high commissioner and demanded an explanation over the complete “absence of security” after videos of pulling down of the Indian flag at the Indian mission in London during a protest by Khalistani supporters emerged on social media.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India finds “unacceptable” the indifference of the UK government to the security of Indian diplomatic premises and personnel in the UK.

British Deputy High Commissioner Christina Scott was summoned to the MEA in view of the incident as High Commissioner Alex Ellis was out of Delhi, sources said.

“The senior-most UK diplomat in New Delhi was summoned late evening today to convey India’s strong protest at the actions taken by separatist and extremist elements against the Indian High Commission in London earlier in the day,” the MEA said.

“An explanation was demanded for the complete absence of the British security that allowed these elements to enter the high commission premises,” it said.

The MEA said the diplomat was reminded of the basic obligations of the UK government under the Vienna Convention.

“India finds unacceptable the indifference of the UK government to the security of Indian diplomatic premises and personnel in the UK,” the MEA said.

It sought immediate steps to identify, arrest and prosecute those involved in today’s incident.

“It is expected that the UK government would take immediate steps to identify, arrest and prosecute each one of those involved in today’s incident, and put in place stringent measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents,” the MEA added.

In a tweet, High Commissioner Ellis said, “I condemn the disgraceful acts today against the people and premises of the @HCI_London – totally unacceptable.”

Images of shattered windows and men climbing the India House building were circulating on social media and videos from the scene showed an Indian official grabbing the flag from a protester through the first-floor window of the mission, while the protester was seen waving a Khalistani flag hanging off its ledge.

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