People around the world watched in horror Wednesday as a swarm of supporters of the president of the United States, Donald Trump, confronted law enforcement authorities, tore down metal barricades and stormed the historic Capitol building. However, observers in India were quick to note an anomaly in the dystopian images: a lone Indian tricolor fluttering amid a sea of American and Trump flags.
The standard-bearer was later identified as 54-year-old Virginia-based businessman Vincent Xavier Palanthigal, who moved to the United States from Kochi in 1992. Vincent, a member of the State Central Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia, says no he intended to defame the national flag.
“It was out of my fervor and patriotic love that I took up the Indian flag. Not to smear him or give him a bad name, ”he told indianexpress.com. Since the attack on the Capitol building, the image of the tricolor has caused a storm on social media, with hundreds of angry Indians questioning what the national flag was doing amid the chaos.
An Indian flag was seen in the United States Capitol during the violence on January 6 (Photo courtesy of Vincent Xavier Palanthigal)
“Why is there an Indian flag there ??? This is a fight we definitely don’t need to participate in, ”BJP MP Varun Gandhi tweeted. Shiv Sena spokeswoman Priyanka Chaturvedi also condemned the flag bearer. “Whoever is waving this Indian flag should be ashamed. Do not wear our tricolor to participate in criminal and violent acts in another country, ”he wrote.
Why is there an Indian flag there? This is a fight we definitely don’t need to participate in … pic.twitter.com/1dP2KtgHvf
– Varun Gandhi (@ varungandhi80) January 7, 2021
But Vincent insisted that it had nothing to do with the “evildoers” who wreaked havoc on the Capitol building. Since yesterday, he has been receiving constant calls from journalists in an attempt to “clear his name.”
“I haven’t slept all night,” he said.
On Wednesday, Vincent, along with a group of 10 other American Indians, were participating in a Trump rally in Washington DC to protest against Congressional certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election. Flag bearing was his way of representing the American Indian community, he said.
At Trump’s rally in Washington. (Photo courtesy of Vincent Xavier Palanthigal)
“The demonstration was very peaceful, like most of Trump’s demonstrations. We marched from the White House lawn to the Capitol in a very disciplined manner. Initially, it was a very festive event. They laughed and sang, it was like a festival in India, ”he recalled. “Trump rallies are usually very fun events. There are always a million American flags, as well as flags of other countries. “
It was only once they reached the historic building that chaos ensued. “We saw people climbing the walls with their claws like animals, which is very difficult for normal people to do.”
A group of armed and angry rioters managed to break through the barricades and advance into the halls of the Capitol building, smashing windows and fighting police officers in what is considered one of the worst security breaches in American history. Protesters roamed the hallways freely, some even breaking into and looting the offices used by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and other lawmakers.
Meanwhile, Vincent said he knew little about what was happening inside the Capitol building. “The Internet was clogged and we were not receiving any news. I had to call my wife and ask her to broadcast the news. It was then that I found out that they had managed to enter and were destroying property, “he explained.
Currently, federal prosecutors and the FBI are reviewing photos and videos of the riots to identify those involved. Pro-Trump protesters on Wednesday, including Vincent, could face a number of charges, including seditious conspiracy, which carries a possible maximum prison sentence of 20 years. At least 52 people have already been arrested for their alleged involvement in the attack.
“Some of the participants in yesterday’s violence will be charged today, and we will continue to methodically assess evidence, accuse crimes and make arrests in the coming days and weeks to ensure that those responsible are held accountable in accordance with the law,” said the Acting Attorney General Jeffrey A Rosen said in a statement Thursday.
Vincent, a graduate of Trishul Engineering College, is currently the Executive Vice President of a Virginia-based IT services company called Amaram Technology Corporation.
Several lawmakers, including members of the Republican Party, have blamed Trump for the violence that erupted in and around the Capitol. At a rally in Ellipse Park near the White House on Wednesday, lawmakers and critics accused President Trump of ordering his followers to head to the Capitol.
The recent attack also appeared to have deepened the division within the Trump administration, as several of his key aides resigned after the incident.
.
