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Khalistanis Target Indian Consulate In San Francisco, Release Posters Threatening Indian Diplomats In Canada, USA, & Australia

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It has been reported that in the early hours of Sunday, 2 July 2023, an arson attack was carried out on the Indian consulate located in San Francisco, United States, allegedly by Khalistani extremists. Although reports indicate that the building sustained limited damage, the swift response from the San Francisco Fire Department prevented further escalation. Thankfully, all consulate staff members escaped unharmed.
The incident, which occurred between 1:30 AM and 2:30 AM local time, was captured on video and has since gone viral on social media platforms.

In light of this, Matthew Miller, the official spokesperson of the US State Department, released a statement strongly condemning the vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco.

Miller underscored that engaging in acts of vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the United States constitutes a criminal offence.

This is not the first time that Khalistan supporters have targeted the Indian consulate in San Francisco. In March of this year, another attack occurred, during which Khalistani elements damaged the property and waved Khalistan flags.

The recent attack involved extremists breaking through makeshift security barriers set up by local authorities. They managed to enter the consulate, where they placed two Khalistani flags and caused significant damage to the building. However, two consulate personnel later removed the flags.

In response to these acts of violence and the circulation of threatening posters against Indian diplomats in Canada, India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, announced that the issue of Khalistani activities would be raised with the government of Canada. During a media interaction, Minister Jaishankar highlighted that India has urged partner countries such as Canada, the United States, the UK, and Australia not to provide space for Khalistani elements.

He further emphasized that failure to address this issue could impact diplomatic relations between India and the concerned nations.
In the mean time, a Khalistan poster has surfaced, openly threatening and targeting Indian diplomats from the Indian High Commission, announcing a rally scheduled to take place in Toronto on 8 July 2023. The poster carries a disturbing message of “Kill India,” indicating a direct threat towards India and its diplomatic representatives.

These posters contained warnings about a Khalistan freedom rally scheduled for 8 July 2023 in the name of deceased Khalistani terrorist Harjit Singh Nijjar. The posters announced that the rally would commence from the Great Punjab Business Centre in Maltan and proceed to the Indian Embassy in Toronto. They also featured images of India’s high commissioner to Ottawa, Sanjay Kumar Verma, and the consulate general in Toronto, Apoorva Srivastava, with a caption referring to them as “killers” of Nijjar.
The circulation of these posters in Canada bearing threats to Indian diplomats has raised concerns, prompting India to take a strong stance against Khalistani activities. Minister Jaishankar affirmed that the poster issue would be addressed with the Canadian government, seeking appropriate action to counter such threats.

In response to the circulation of posters, the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, acknowledged the existence of threatening posters circulated in Canada by Khalistanis, targeting Indian diplomats, and condemned them as unacceptable. She tweeted, “Canada takes its obligations under the Vienna Conventions regarding the safety of diplomats very seriously. Canada remains in close contact with Indian officials in light of some of the promotional material circulating online regarding a protest planned for July 8th, which are unacceptable. We know that the actions of a few do not speak for an entire community, or Canada.” 

Minister Joly emphasized Canada’s commitment to upholding its obligations under the Vienna Conventions, which prioritize the safety and security of diplomats. Following this, the Canadian High Commissioner to India, Cameron MacKay, was summoned by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in India.

The posters included the phone numbers of the protest rally organizers along with pictures of their targeted Indian diplomats. The Toronto poster identified Indian High Commissioner Saurav Kumar Sharma and Counsellor Apurva Srivastava, while a separate poster in Vancouver mentioned the High Commissioner and Counsel General of Vancouver, Manish. The Vancouver rally was stated to begin at Guru Nanak Sikh Gurudwara, which had reportedly been taken over by Nijjar and his associates, and conclude at the Indian Consulate in Vancouver.
Previous reports have indicated that Khalistanis hold India responsible for the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead on June 18 within the premises of a Gurdwara in Surrey, Canada. Nijjar, aged 46 and hailing from Bhar Singhpura village in Jalandhar, was recently designated as a terrorist by the Indian government. In 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had offered a reward of ₹ 10 lakh for information on Nijjar after he was linked to a conspiracy to assassinate a Hindu priest in Jalandhar, Punjab.

Subsequently, a few more posters circulating online came to light announcing the Khalistan Freedom Rally in 3 countries – US, Canada, and Australia.

These posters displayed photographs and names of senior Indian diplomats, including India’s Ambassador to the United States, Taranjeet Singh, and India’s Ambassador to Australia, Manpreet Vohra. This development follows a similar poster release in Canada.

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