Amid the US Capitol violence on Thursday, one of the images that went viral showed an Indian tricolour fluttering amid a sea of US national flags. This created a row on social media. Comedia Vir Das tweeted: "Dear random Indian dude waving Indian flag at the #CapitolRiots. Every large crowd IS NOT A CRICKET MATCH!"
BJP leader Varun Gandhi asked on Twitter: “Why is there an Indian flag there? This is one fight we definitely don’t need to participate in.”
Now, Manorama News has identified the flag-bearer as Kerala native Vincent Xavier Palathingal, who originally hails from Kochi, a state committee member of the Virigina Republican Party. THE WEEK cannot independently vouch for the veracity of the claims.
Palathingal told Manorama News that the protest, which saw over 10 lakh participants, was being smeared as violent because of 50 odd people who created trouble. When asked why he carried an Indian flag, he told the publication: "Many people from many different nations participate in such protests. When they do so, they usually carry their nation's flag. This time I carried the Indian flag, and this is the first time I am doing so," he said.
On Wednesday, thousands of angry supporters of Trump had stormed the US Capitol and clashed with police, resulting in casualty and multiple injuries and interrupting a constitutional process to affirm Joe Biden's victory in the presidential election. Trump had constantly alleged that the election was being stolen from him and that voter fraud was the reason. Four people were killed in the melee.
The violence was not just limited to Washington DC. Protesters were reported in statehouses from Georgia to New Mexico. Hundreds of people gathered in state capitals nationwide to oppose president-elect Joe Biden's win, waving signs. Most of them carried guns in places like Oklahoma, Georgia, Arizona and Washington state. There were some scuffles with counterprotesters in states like Ohio and California.
