The U.S. State Department on Monday condemned a fire set over the weekend outside the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, the second act of vandalism this year against the diplomatic post.
Fire crews were called about 2 a.m. Sunday to the Consulate General of India at 540 Arguello Blvd., where they found a smoldering debris fire on the sidewalk. The fire damaged the front door and entryway, according to San Francisco fire officials.
The blaze was set by supporters of a Khalistan, a proposed separatist state in northwest India for the country’s Sikh religious minority, Reuters reported. The Khalistan movement and groups that support it are banned in India as a national security threat.
In March, Sikh protesters smashed windows at the diplomatic office and skirmished with consulate employees during a demonstration. That demonstration came after police in India launched a manhunt to capture Amritpal Singh, a separatist leader who backs the Khalistan movement.
The State Department didn’t mention Sikhs in a statement posted Monday on Twitter about the recent fire, saying that the U.S. “strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco.”
The post from State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said “Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the U.S. is a criminal offense.”
Following the State Department post, San Francisco fire officials posted on Twitter that an investigation into the blaze was ongoing.
The consulate did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Tuesday morning.