Khalistan supporters protest at Times Square in New York
A large number of Khalistan supporters protested in New York’s Times Square in support of fugitive extremist preacher Amritpal Singh.
Protesters staged a car rally that started from the Baba Mahan Shah Lubana Sikh Center in Richmond Hill and ended in Times Square in midtown Manhattan on Sunday afternoon amid heavy security.
With blaring music and loud horns, scores of cars with Khalistani flags and LED mobile billboard trucks displaying Singh’s photos passed through the streets near the event venue.
A large crowd of men, women and children gathered in the famous New York, carrying Khalistan flags and chanting slogans in the rally.
The protesters carried placards reading ‘Free Amritpal Singh’ and carried photographs of Singh and raised anti-India slogans. Singh’s photograph was also displayed on a billboard in Times Square.
There was a heavy police presence in the area with several New York City Police Department (NYPD) vans and cars.
A car rally took place a day after Khalistan supporters gathered outside the Indian embassy in Washington on Saturday, where many of their speakers tried to incite violence, but the alert US Secret Service and the timely intervention of local police prevented a repeat of the London and San Francisco incidents. Vandalism in Indian embassies.
India said on Friday it expects to take action against those involved in sabotage of its missions abroad and hopes host governments will prosecute those involved in the incidents rather than bail them out.
Addressing the weekly briefing, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagshi said New Delhi expects host governments to take steps to prevent such incidents from happening again.
“I think we’re not just interested in assurances, we want to take action,” a foreign ministry spokesman said.
When Amritpal launched a police crackdown against Hai on March 18 and his cavalry was intercepted in Punjab’s Jalandhar district, the elusive preacher gave the slip to the police and escaped their trap.
