Expressing concern over the attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar dubbed it a “very serious matter”. He said that India expects accountability for the incident and those responsible to be held accountable.
While speaking at a press conference in Washington DC on Wednesday (local time), the EAM said, “The arson attack on our consulate in San Francisco is a very, very serious matter, and it is something for which we expect accountability. We would like to see that people who did it are held responsible”.
Futher, Jaishankar also stated that “he had a brief discussion on Bangladesh” with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, but didn’t share any further details at the presser. “We had a brief discussion on Bangladesh…I don’t think it’s appropriate. I get into more details,” he said.
Notably, the Consulate General of India in San Francisco was attacked on March 19, 2023, by a group of assailants who committed criminal trespass, damaged public property, and attacked officials of the Consulate.
Before this attack, on the same day, some attackers attempted to set the Consulate building on fire by sprinkling inflammable substances early in the morning. A video surfaced on social media in which suspected pro-Khalistani protestors were seen gathering outside the Indian consulate in San Francisco, shouting slogans and heckling staff as they abandoned the diplomatic mission.
Shortly after three months in July, a group of Khalistan extremists again tried to set the Indian consulate in San Francisco on fire. The local San Francisco police department, special diplomatic security personnel, and state and federal authorities were notified and they launched a probe into the July incident thereafter. The incident was strongly condemned by the US, which called it a “criminal offence”.
On Monday, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., with Chief Justice John Roberts administering the oath. Before Trump’s swearing-in, JD Vance was sworn in as the 50th Vice President of the United States.
Jaishankar was among the attendees of the grand ceremony which also saw the presence of global leaders and top bureaucrats. After attending the swearing-in of Donald Trump, the EAM said it was a “great honour” to represent India at the inauguration ceremony.
