Indian Americans protest Pulwama attack in US, demand action against Pak

Jagdish Sewhani, President of The American India Public Affairs Committee and one of the organisers of the event, said that through the protest, the message to Pakistan is that 'enough is enough'

A large number of Indian-Americans held a protest in front of Pakistan's Permanent Mission to the UN and its Consulate, strongly condemning the terror attack against Indian security forces in Pulwama and demanding swift action against Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed and its leader Masood Azhar.

Members of the Indian-American community from the New York and New Jersey area raised slogans against Pakistan and carried placards as they waved the Indian tri-colour during the protest outside the Pakistani Consulate and Permanent Mission premises in Manhattan Friday afternoon.

The agitated protestors also waved the Indian tri-colour and the American flag as they demanded justice for the terror attack, saying the deaths of the 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel will not go in vain.

Jagdish Sewhani, President of The American India Public Affairs Committee and one of the organisers of the event, told PTI that through the protest, the message to Pakistan is that "enough is enough. This time we will not forgive and we will not forget".

He said the Pulwama terror attacks is the "final nail in the coffin" for the Pakistani terrorists who have repeatedly targeted India over the years, from the 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament, the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks to the Pathankot and Uri attacks.

He added that the UN Security Council Press Statement condemning the Pulwama attacks has "isolated Pakistan".

He said the Indian-American community urges Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "discontinue all diplomatic relations with Pakistan and give it a reply in the language it understands".

The crowd of close to about 200 raised slogans of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', 'Vande Mataram', 'Pakistan Murdabad', 'Pakistan-terrorist' and carried placards that read 'Handover Masood Azhar-Global Terrorist', 'Pakistan Stop Harbouring Terrorists', 'Pakistan stop terrorism', 'Pakistan - progress the country not terrorism', and 'Pakistan Global Exporter of Terrorism'.

Overseas Friends of Bharatiya Janata Party-USA President Krishna Reddy Anugula said the Indian community in the US strongly condemns the "dastardly" attacks.

"We are demanding that the perpetrators of the attack should be brought to justice and the terror infrastructure based in Pakistan has to be dismantled," he said adding that JeM Chief Azhar should be handed over to India to face trial. Reddy slammed the support that the terrorist groups get from the Pakistan Army and its intelligence unit ISI.

Ganesh Ramakrishnan, one of the coordinators of the protest, said the Pakistani Army has been harbouring terrorism.

"It is the global exporter of terrorism and is the incubation of all the start-ups of terrorism." 

He said the international community must raise its voice against terrorism emanating from Pakistan soil and ensure that concrete actions are taken to eliminate the terror factories in Pakistan.

"The international community has to isolate Pakistan. Nations have been making only symbolic gestures but it is high time that concrete action is taken as terrorism impacts not just one nation but the entire world." 

The organisers also tried to give a memorandum condemning the attack and demanding action to the Pakistani Consulate and Permanent Mission but the gates of the premises remained locked during the protests.