A band of Haryanvis had clashed with a group of Khalistanis at Harris Park in Sydney, Australia, in February 2021, following which one Vishal, originally from Kurukshetra, Haryana, had been arrested by the Australian police. He has been in custody since the last three months and no consular access has been given to him.
Vishal’s “fault” was that he was chanting “Modi zindabad” and tried to save the India’s Tricolour. When the pro-Khalistan group was conducting a rally at Sydney’s Harris Park to support the farmers and what happened at the Red Fort on 26 January 2021, Vishal, with a few other students, opposed the Khalistani group raising slogans against PM Modi and India. He, along with other people, started shouting “Modi zindabad” and “Hindustan zindabad”. He was beaten up by a mob there.
Vishal, along with other pro-India students, had organised a “Tiranga car rally” on 26 January night and also burnt the Khalistani flag. After that incident, he became the target of Khalistanis all over Australia. Khalistanis tried to attack him multiple times by breaking into his house and attacking the car, but they never got him. Instead, they beat up a few other Indian students brutally. One of the incidents was when they attacked an Indian student belonging to Padha village in Karnal, Haryana, and glorified it by saying that they had avenged the burning of the Khalistan flag and Vishal was punished by them.
Vishal’s family, staying in Kurukshetra, spoke to The Daily Guardian exclusively. Vishal’s father Nathuram said: “We want consular access to Vishal. He should be free as early as possible, he tried to save India’s flag, he has done nothing wrong, but Khalistani people framed him.”
According to his brother Ravi, “Vishal went to Australia as a student. When he saw some Khalistani groups protesting against India, he shouted ‘Modi zindabad’. We came to know that one Khalistani policeman beat up Vishal inside the jail. We want the Indian government to intervene in this case.”
According to Vishal’s friend Gaurav: “We have no idea about Vishal’s current condition; he should be released from jail as early as possible.”
Meanwhile, some Indian organisations have come forward in Australia to help Vishal; they have arranged a lawyer to secure his release. Nitin (name changed), who lived in Sydney, told The Daily Guardian that since the last few months, pro-Khalistan groups have been targeting pro-Modi groups in Australia. They malign India’s image through TikTok. Several attacks took place in the last three months in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. Around five lakh Indians stay in Australia.