Extremists outside India must not get space, says Jaishankar

Voicing concern over the vandalism of a Hindu temple with anti-India graffiti in the US, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday that extremists and separatists outside India must not get space.

He was speaking to the media on the sidelines of the third convocation of the Rashtriya Raksha University in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. “We are concerned about this. Extremists and separatist forces outside India should not get space,” he said. “Our consulate has lodged a complaint with the (US) government and the police there over whatever happened, and I believe the matter is being inquired.”

The police department in Newark, California said that on Friday morning, they got a report of graffiti at the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu temple. Images on social media show the word ‘Khalistan’ was spray-painted on a signpost outside the temple along with other objectionable graffiti.

The Newark police said any acts or threats of violence, property damage, harassment, intimidation or other crimes motivated by hate or bias are considered very serious and given very high priority.

The Consulate General of India in San Francisco condemned the temple defacing.

On the arrest of Nikhil Gupta in Czech Republic over chrages that he planned to kill US-based Khalistan activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in collaboration with an Indian official, Jaishankar said the Indian embassy was provided consular access to him. “Whenever an Indian citizen is arrested, we seek consular access for their care which we have received thrice,” he said.

On the absence of the US and Canada from the list of partner countries for the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, Jaishankar said he would not put any political meaning to this.

“Many counties are calling us to participate in Vibrant Gujarat. We ask them to talk to the government of Gujarat. We would like to support it because we would like to see maximum participants,” he said.

(With agency inputs)