US condemns vandalism at Indian consulate in San Francisco
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Sikh separatists reportedly tried to set fire to the Indian consulate in San Francisco on the weekend.
PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM GOOGLE MAPS
WASHINGTON – The United States has condemned vandalism against the Indian consulate in the city of San Francisco, a State Department spokesman said, after a report of a protest at the mission by supporters of a separate state for the Sikh community.
Sikh separatists tried to set fire to the consulate on the weekend, Reuters partner ANI reported, citing sources.
There was no major damage nor any injuries and the police were investigating, the news agency said.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller did not mention Sikh protesters but said in a post on Twitter that the US strongly condemned the reported vandalism and attempted arson, on July 1.
“Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the US is a criminal offence,” Mr Miller said.
Similar incidents have taken place outside Indian diplomatic missions
Sikh separatists have for generations sought an independent Sikh homeland called Khalistan in north-west India.
Their demand led to violence in which tens of thousands of people were killed, mostly in India, in the 1980s and 1990s. Activists in the Sikh community in India and overseas have revived the call recently.
India’s Foreign Ministry and the San Francisco police did not immediately respond to a request for comment. REUTERS
