- By Nidhi Giri
- Fri, 07 Feb 2025 03:41 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Indian Consulate in Seattle on Friday witnessed a law and order situation after a group of people intruded its premises during a protest by Indian-American politician Kshama Sawant and an organization called Workers Strike Back over the politician's repeated visa rejections. As per a post on X by the Indian Consulate in Seattle, authorities were called upon to take action.
“Today, the Consulate was forced to deal with a law and order situation arising from the unauthorized entry by certain individuals into the Consulate premises after office hours,” The consulate wrote in a post on X.
“Despite repeated requests, these individuals refused to leave the Consulate premises and engaged in aggressive and threatening behaviour with the Consulate staff," the post read.
“We were compelled to call in relevant local authorities to deal with the situation. Further action is being initiated against the trespassers," it added.
Today, the Consulate was forced to deal with a law and order situation arising from the unauthorized entry by certain individuals into the Consulate premises after office hours.
— India In Seattle (@IndiainSeattle) February 7, 2025
Despite repeated requests, these individuals refused to leave the Consulate premises and engaged in…
Kshama Sawant, who served as a Seattle City Council member from 2014 to 2023, has claimed that her India visa application was rejected thrice while her husband was granted an emergency visa to visit her ailing mother in India.
"My husband & I are in Seattle Indian consulate. They granted him emergency visa for my mother being very sick. But rejected mine, literally saying my name is on a 'reject list'. And refusing to give explanation why," Sawant said in a series of posts on X.
"We're refusing to leave. They're threatening to call the police on us."
Sawant said she and members of an organization called Workers Strike Back were at the Indian consulate, doing "peaceful civil disobedience" demanding to know her visa was rejected thrice.
My husband & I are in Seattle Indian consulate
— Kshama Sawant (@cmkshama) February 7, 2025
They granted him emergency visa for my mother being very sick. But rejected mine, literally saying my name is on a "reject list." And refusing to give explanation why.
We're refusing to leave.
They're threatening to call the…