Separatist forces outside India shouldn’t get space: Jaishankar

GANDHINAGAR: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday expressed concern over the vandalism of a Hindu temple with anti-India graffiti in the US, and said extremists and separatist forces outside India should not get such space.

Speaking at the third convocation of Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), the Union minister also said India has deeply embedded security factors into its diplomatic strategy.

“I have seen the news. As you know, we are concerned about this. Extremists and separatist forces outside India should not get space. Our consulate has lodged a complaint with the (US) government and the police there over whatever happened, and I believe the matter is being inquired,” Jaishankar said in response to a query about the incident.

The police department in Newark, California said that approximately 8.35 am on Friday, they received a report of graffiti at Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu temple. According to images posted on social media, the word ‘Khalistan’ was spray-painted on a signpost outside the temple along with other objectionable graffiti.

The Newark police said any acts or threats of violence, property damage, harassment, intimidation, or other crimes motivated by hate or bias are considered very serious and given very high priority. The Consulate General of India in San Francisco strongly condemned the defacing of the temple.

The country is making its border infrastructure robust with the seriousness it deserves to strengthen national security, with the construction of roads, bridges and tunnels along the China border at a much faster pace compared to what was achieved in previous decades, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said.

. “Acquiring and developing weapons, and building related capacities have not only been at the core of our defence policies, but also of our diplomacy,” he said.

Despite the setback India faced in 1962, in the war with China, due to “complacency” and “neglect” for infrastructure along the border areas, it failed to learn a lesson until the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi started approaching the domain of security with the seriousness it deserves, he said.