Washington: Indian journalist Lalit Jha was attacked and abused by Khalistani supporters outside the Embassy in Washington on Saturday afternoon.
He said Khalistani supporters hit him with two sticks on his left ear. He has also shared a video of Khalistani supporters on his Twitter handle.
At the same time, the Indian Embassy in the United States has issued a statement condemning the incident. “We condemn such a serious and unwarranted attack on a senior journalist. Such activities only underline the violent and anti-social tendencies of the so-called ‘Khalistani protesters’ and their supporters, who regularly indulge in violence and vandalism,” it said.
Journalist Lalit Jha said, “I felt very threatened, so I called 911. Then I saw the police officers and informed them about the incident. Pro-Khalistan protesters in support of Amritpal Singh waved Khalistan flags and reached the embassy in the presence of the US Secret Service. They openly threatened to vandalise the embassy.”
Jha said the protesters included turbaned men of all ages who raised pro-Khalistan slogans. They came from different parts of the DC-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) region. The organisers used microphones to deliver anti-India speeches in both English and Punjabi and targeted the Punjab Police for alleged human rights violations.
There have been several incidents of protests by Pro-Khalistan supporters outside the Indian Embassy and the San Francisco Consulate in recent days. The Indian consulate in San Francisco was also attacked on March 20.
The US has strongly condemned the attack on the Indian Consulate in San Francisco by a group of separatists, calling it “absolutely unacceptable”. The US has also pledged to protect such diplomatic facilities and diplomats working there.