'Why is there an Indian flag there?': Fluttering tricolour amid US Capitol attack angers Twitterati

The social media platforms were abuzz on Wednesday over the US Capitol siege where hundreds of supports of outgoing US President Donald Trump supporters crashed through the barricades, climbed through the windows, and walked through the doors of the Capitol building to disrupt the certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory.

But, in the sea of pro-Trump flags during the protests, what grabbed the eyes of many was the presence of the Indian tricolour. The tricolour was spotted in the crowd that allegedly also had Indian-origin backers alongside the Trump supporters.

The flag was spotted in a video tweeted by journalist Alejandro Alvarez.

It soon became a topic of discussion with people on social media condemning the presence of the Indian flag during the protests. BJP leader Varun Gandhi shared the video and wrote, “Why is there an Indian flag there? This is one fight we definitely don’t need to participate in”

Apart from the BJP leader, others also expressed their disappointment.

A News18 report identified the man waving the flag as Virginia resident Vincent Xavier Palathingal, a native of Kerala's Kochi. The report said that Trump had also picked Palathingal to be part of the President’s Export Council.

Palathingal took to Twitter, tagging Thiruvananthapuram MP and senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor and Varun Gandhi, and said -- "American patriots - Vietnamese, Indian, Korean & Iranian origins, & from so many other nations & races, who believe massive voter fraud has happened joined rally yesterday in solidarity with Trump. Peaceful protestors who were exercising our rights!"

He told the publication that he was not part of the violence that ensued but only participated in the “peaceful protest” against “election fraud”.

The US Capitol debacle forced the resignations of Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund and the top security officials of the two chambers of Congress, the sergeants-at-arms late Thursday.

As the dust settled on the extraordinary scenes of a besieged seat of power, voices were quickly raised to ask why the 2,300-strong Capitol Police force so easily gave way to protesters, apparently not trying to arrest them.