Baffling moment as Khalistan separatist protesters storm the Indian consulate in Brisbane
Baffling moment when Indian separatist protesters storm the country’s consulate in Brisbane – after Modi expressed fears of violence against Hindus in Australia
- The Indian Consulate in Brisbane is the subject of furious protest
- Separatist group surrounded the entrance
- The Khalistani campaign seeks a separate Sikh-majority state in India
Indian separatist protesters stormed the country’s consulate in Brisbane this week in extraordinary scenes.
Staff at the outpost in Taringa, in the southwest of the city, feared for their safety when protesters harassed staff and police on Wednesday, March 15.
Protesters were seen hoisting anti-Hindu signs, among other things, labeling government employees as “supremacists.”
India’s foreign ministry described the demonstration as a “disruption” but denied that the consulate had been forced to close.
This comes days after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met and expressed concern over violence against Hindus in Australia.
Queensland Police (pictured at the consulate) said the gathering was unauthorized
Queenslander Parvinder Singh, who visited the consulate that day, described the separatists as ‘thugs’.
A spokesman for the Indian government, Arindam Bagchi, told The Times of India that they have been in contact with our government since the incident happened.
“There were some glitches for a while, but it hasn’t closed,” Bagchi said.
“The honorary consulate will continue to function normally and provide the necessary services.
“We have been in regular contact when such incidents occur, and unfortunately they have occurred on a number of occasions.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured left) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (pictured right) expressed concern over violence against Hindus in Australia
Wednesday’s pop-up protest is the latest chapter in a dramatic saga for Australia’s Indian community that has seen temple defacement and violent public clashes.
Earlier this month, the separatist movement defaced the entrance to the Lakshmi Narayan Temple in Burbank, Brisbane’s southeast.
The graffiti smeared over the entrance had labeled Modi, a practicing Hindu, a terrorist.
In January, more unauthorized protesters clashed in Melbourne’s Federation Square, where two were arrested by police and dozens more were sprayed with pepper spray.
In January, more unauthorized Khalistan supporters turned up in Melbourne’s Federation Square (pictured), where two were arrested by police and dozens more pepper sprayed
The Khalistan separatists appeared in Melbourne in January before rallying outside the Indian consulate in Brisbane’s Taringa on March 15 (pictured)
Since then, Hindu temples across the country have suffered similar treatment, leading Modi to address the issue during a recent bilateral meeting with Mr Albanese in India.
“I have conveyed our concerns to Prime Minister Albanese and he has assured me that the safety and well-being of the Indian community in Australia is a priority for them,” Modi said.
Albanians pledged Australia would not tolerate extremists, and there is no place for such actions against Hindu temples at a press conference in New Delhi.
Prime Minister Modi spoke on the matter during a recent bilateral meeting with Mr Albanese in India in March