Two days after an incident of vandalism and attempted arson at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco allegedly by Khalistan supporters, the US State Department on Tuesday termed it a criminal offence.

Khalistan refers to an independent Sikh state sought by some groups.

A video showing the act of arson, which took place in the early hours of July 2, was widely shared on social media. The video was overlaid with the words “violence begets violence” and showed news reports of the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the chief of Canada-based separatist group Khalistan Tiger Force. There are no reports of casualties in the incident.

Nijjar, who was shot dead outside a gurudwara in Canada last month, was a wanted person for Indian law enforcement agencies. The National Investigation Agency had declared a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh for information leading to his arrest.

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Tuesday wrote in a tweet: “The US strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the US is a criminal offence.”

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There are concerns about further trouble as a poster shared on social media said that a “Khalistan Freedom Rally” will be organised on July 8. It will culiminate at the Indian embassy in San Francisco, PTI reported.

The Indian consulate in San Francisco had come under attack by Khalistan supporters in March as well. They used flagpoles to smash windows and hit the doors of the consulate building.

The men were protesting against a crackdown by security forces in Punjab against Sikh group Waris Punjab De – led by Khalistan supporter Amritpal Singh.

Also read: Why are Sikhs abroad more pro-Khalistan than community members living in India?