- Thursday, April 25, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
In yet another incident of radical activities against the Indian community in Australia, the honorary consulate of India in Brisbane has been targeted by Khalistani supporters who raised the Khalistani flag at the office, a local media report said on Friday (24).
The incident came just days after India’s external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited the country and emphasised the need for vigilance against “radical activities” targeting the Indian community Down Under.
According to The Australia Today, the honorary consulate of India located on Swann Road in the Taringa suburb of Brisbane was targeted by Khalistan supporters on Tuesday (21) night.
The honorary consul of India in Brisbane, Archana Singh, found the Khalistan flag attached to the office when she arrived on Wednesday (22), the report said.
Singh immediately notified the Queensland Police, which on arrival confiscated the flag and swept the honorary consulate of India to clear of any immediate threat.
“Police are surveilling the area to keep us safe. We have Strong faith in police authority,” Singh told The Australia Today.
The incident comes following the vandalism of three Hindu temples in Australia by Khalistani supporters.
On January 23, the management of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple also known as the Hare Krishna Temple in Melbourne’s Albert Park found the walls of the revered temple vandalised with graffiti “Hindustan Murdabad” (Down with Hindustan).
Seven days prior to that, the historic Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Carrum Downs, Victoria, was vandalised in a similar manner.
On January 12, the Swaminarayan temple in Melbourne was defaced by ‘anti-social elements’ with anti-India graffiti. Jaishankar and his deputy V Muraleedharan during their visit on February 18 to Sydney and Melbourne, respectively, have raised India’s concerns over the issue.
Jaishankar raised the issue during his meeting with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong.
“Noted the forward movement on our bilateral agenda. Emphasised the need for vigilance against radical activities targeting the Indian community,” Jaishankar tweeted after the meeting.
However, on the same day, Khalistani supporters threatened two Hindu Temples while they were celebrating Mahashivratri, the report said.
The Australia Today also reported that Khalistani radicals called up two top officials of Sydney Murugan Temple and threatened them to raise Khalistan slogans or face the consequence.
India has already asked the Australian government to curb the anti-India activities of the Khalistani separatists and also attacks on the Hindu temples in the country.
“Signals that pro-Khalistan elements are stepping up their activities in Australia, actively aided and abetted by members of proscribed terrorist organisations such as the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and other inimical agencies from outside Australia, have been evident for some time,” the Indian high commission in Canberra said in a strongly-worded statement on January 26.
(With PTI inputs)
