US soil used for terror campaign against India: Community leaders concerned about hate crime

A group of prominent Indian-origin figures held a special meeting in Silicon Valley with top officials from the Justice Department, FBI and police, saying the US territory is being used for terror activities against India. The meeting this week discussed the increasing number of hate crimes against Hindus in California.

According to the Press Trust of India news agency, multiple people who attended the meeting revealed that Indian Americans expressed dissatisfaction during the meeting with U.S. law enforcement agencies for failing to take any action against those who support terrorist activities in India.

Indian Americans said after the meeting that the sudden increase in hate crimes against Indian Americans, especially Hindus, has caused a lot of fear and anxiety in the community.

Vincent Plair and Harpreet Singh Mokha of the Justice Department’s Community Relations Service attended, along with FBI officials and personnel from the San Francisco, Milpitas, Fremont and Newark police departments.

Some community members expressed anger at the failure of law enforcement agencies to take any action against these individuals, including those who tried to burn down the Indian consulate in San Francisco and publicly threatened Indian diplomats and publicly called for terror in India. India.

Community leaders also expressed concern that the police would be of little help to them in addressing this growing fear or deterring U.S. terror campaigns against India.

Senior law enforcement officials say they are unaware of the Khalistani movement in the United States and want Indian Americans to help them raise awareness about these terror groups in the United States. They also said they were unable to take action due to lack of resources and funds and that they had other priorities, members present at the meeting told PTI.

“This meeting is a critical moment as we unite to respond to the recent surge in hate crimes against Hindu places of worship. I have convened Indian community leaders, the Department of Justice, the FBI and representatives from Milpitas, San Francisco, Fremont and Law enforcement officials in Newark. “Over the past four months, more than 11 temples in the Bay Area alone have been attacked, vandalized, and defaced with hateful graffiti. The fear in our community is palpable, but our collective resolve is stronger than ever,” said community leader Ajai Jain Bhutoria.

“We delve into protecting places of worship and combating hate crimes, particularly those involving Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) Khalistan supporters targeting Hindu temples, displaying disturbing banners in front of schools and corporate institutions. In our During the discussions, we explored the prospects of organizing a Forum for Protection of All Places of Worship (PPOW) with the Ministry of Justice,” said Sikh leader Sukhi Chahal.

Chahal said he personally stressed the importance of dealing with provocative and threatening video messages from SFJ pro-Khalistan separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu.

“I urge FBI and Justice Department officials to seriously consider the potential impact of Mr. Pannu’s comments on peace, harmony, and India-U.S. relations. Most importantly, we work together to mitigate the impact of such hateful messages that have the potential to disrupt Tranquilize society and radicalize young people,” he said.

After the meeting, both parties agreed to establish a working group under the guidance of the U.S. Department of Justice to actively promote safety measures in places of worship and systematically report any bad behavior.

(Inputs from PTI)