US soil being used for terrorist activities against India, community leaders tell Department of Justice, FBI

The group holds the meeting with senior officials of the Department of Justice, FBI and local police this week on increasing hate crimes against Hindus in California

Community members expressed anger that the law enforcement agencies have not been able to take action against those who tried to burn the Indian consulate in San Francisco, X/file photo

PTI

Washington, March 14

A group of eminent Indian-Americans in Silicon Valley has held a special meeting with senior officials of the Department of Justice, FBI and police and said that the US soil is being used for terrorist activities against India.

The group held the meeting with senior officials of the Department of Justice, FBI and local police this week on increasing hate crimes against Hindus in California.

During the meeting, Indian-Americans expressed their displeasure and dissatisfaction that the law enforcement agencies in the US have not been able to take any action against those who are espousing terrorism activities in India, according to multiple persons present in the meeting.

The meeting to address the challenging issue of the rise in hate crimes against Hindu and Jain places of worship was held at the initiative of community leader Ajai Jain Bhutoria. It was attended by about two dozen eminent Indian-Americans.

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

The sudden increase in hate crimes against Indian-Americans in general and the Hindus in particular is causing a lot of fear and anxiety in the community, said the Indian-Americans after the meeting which was closed to the press.

There is a fear in the community right now. The Khalistan people park trucks outside schools, and Indian grocery stores and intimidate young Indian-Americans.

Several community members expressed their anger that the law enforcement agencies have not been able to take any action against those people, including those who tried to burn the Indian consulate in San Francisco, and are openly threatening Indian diplomats and giving open calls for terrorist incidents in India.

Some of the members present in the meeting told PTI that senior law enforcement officials said that they were not aware of the Khalistan movement in the US and wanted the Indian-Americans to help them raise awareness about these terrorist groups in the US. They also said that they have not been able to take action because of a lack of resources and funds and that they have other top priorities.