The reported destruction and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday are strongly condemned by the US. According to US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller in a tweet posted on Monday (local time), “violence or vandalism against diplomatic buildings or foreign diplomats in the US is a criminal offence.

Radicals from Khalistan attempted to set the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on fire at 1:40 AM on Sunday, sources said ANI.

Sources who confirmed the incident’s appearance on camera told ANI that the San Francisco Fire Department promptly put out the fire. An official informed ANI that the attack was nothing less than a “terror act” and that neither significant damage nor staff members were hurt.

The event was reported to and the local San Francisco police department, special diplomatic security staff, state and federal authorities all got involved right once. After the incident, there were numerous discussions with police and government representatives, which led to swift and immediate action against the incident’s perpetrators.

Additionally, a poster purportedly circulated by Sikh extremists accuses the Indian ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and Dr. TV Nagendra Prasad, consul general at the Indian consulate general in San Francisco, of being involved in the murder of Khalistan Tiger Force leader and designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in June.

Meanwhile, India has asked allies including Canada, the UK, and Australia to reject the violent extremist ideology of the Khalistanis, according to External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, who made the announcement on Monday.

Jaishankar stated, “We have requested our partner countries, like Canada, UK, Australia, and US, that they should not give space to these Khalistanis,” in reference to the names of Indian ambassadors appearing on Khalistani posters in Canada. We, them, and our relationships don’t benefit from these radical, extremist views. Will bring up the problem with these posters.

The SF consulate has experienced attacks in the past as well. In March, several demonstrators who were waving pro-Khalistan signs tore down the temporary security barriers put up by the San Francisco city police and placed two so-called Khalistani flags inside the Consulate’s grounds. Soon after, two consular employees took down these banners. While stating that violence or the threat of violence is never an appropriate form of protest and is of “grave concern,” the US administration also condemned the violent occurrences that occurred during protests at Indian diplomatic installations in the US.

The US Department of State’s response also followed threats made by pro-Khalistan Americans against the Indian embassy and Indian Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu at a separate demonstration held in front of the Indian mission in Washington.

At a gathering outside the mission, a protester directly threatened the ambassador, saying that the “hypocrisy” would stop and that the ambassador might suffer the same fate as former Indian president Zail Singh in 1994.

“Violence or the threat of violence against diplomatic facilities and personnel in the United States is a grave concern and will not be tolerated,” a spokesman for the US Department of State told ANI.

However, no action has yet been taken against any individual or group. Khalistan supporters have often protested outside the Indian embassy and the San Francisco consulate. On July 8, the radical Sikh group also intends to demonstrate in front of Indian embassies in the US.