Washington-based Indian journalist Lalit Jha was physically attacked and verbally abused by pro-Khalistan supporters in Washington while he was covering a pro-Khalistan protest outside the Indian Embassy on Saturday afternoon.
Jha on Sunday thanked the US Secret Service for protecting him and helping him do his job. He said he was hit on his left ear with two sticks by pro-Khalistan supporters. He also shared a video of the Khalistani supporters on his Twitter handle.
“Thank you @SecretService 4 my protection 2day 4 helping do my job, otherwise I would have been writing this from hospital. The gentleman below hit my left ear with these 2 sticks & earlier I had to call 9/11 & rushed 2 police van 4 safety fearing physical assault,” Jha tweeted on Sunday.
“At one point I felt so threatened that I called 911. I then spotted Secret Service officers and narrated the incident to them,” Jha told ANI, adding the protesters took charge of the situation. However, the journalist decided to take no action against those who heckled him.
“The pro-Khalistan protestors in support of Amrit Pal waved Khalistan flags and descended upon the embassy in the presence of the US Secret Service. They even openly threatened to vandalize the embassy and threatened the Indian Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu,” Jha told ANI.
The protesters included turbaned men of all ages who raised pro-Khalistan slogans. They came in from different parts of the DC-Maryland- Virginia (DMV) area. The organizers used mics to make anti-India speeches both in English and Punjabi languages and targeted the Punjab Police for alleged human rights violations.
Multiple events of protests by supporters of Khalistan have been staged outside the Indian embassy and the San Francisco Consulate. Earlier this week the Indian Consulate in San Francisco was also attacked on March 20.
The United States has condemned the attack on the Indian Consulate in San Francisco and any attack against diplomatic facilities within the US.
