‘US Is Not That Racist’: Man Who Took Indian Flag to Capitol Hill

He also said that he was not disrespecting the Indian flag and that he loves India.

Vincent Xavier, an Indian national who carried the Indian flag to the US Capitol protest, has, according to NDTV, said that his intention was to prove that America is “not racist as it is portrayed to be”.

(Kamran Akhtar/The Quint)

Vincent Xavier, an Indian national who carried the Indian flag to the US Capitol protest, has, according to NDTV, said that his intention was to prove that America is "not racist as it is portrayed to be”.

Xavier had also responded to the reactions of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and BJP parliamentarian Varun Gandhi over the Indian flag’s presence at Capitol Hill, by sharing photographs of other countries’ flags at the rally.

Speaking to NDTV, Xavier said:

“There is nothing to be ashamed of, we are celebrating our diversity. The world has to know that America is not the racist country it is portrayed as. That the Republican party is not white supremacist. If they were racist, they would not allow me to carry the Indian flag. It was actually showing more respect.”   

On being asked about his alleged meeting with Shashi Tharoor in 2015, Xavier told NDTV:

“I met him twice after that in Indian American, Malayali events. Tharoor is a very good orator. I am always jealous of his English skills...I don’t know whether I would consider him a great leader...I would want him to take a bigger role and rescue the Congress party in the shape it is in today, instead of getting into such controversies.”

He also reportedly distanced himself from the mob that stormed the Capitol and said that it was "some miscreants" who broke into the Capitol that day.

“I am a Republican Party operative. I have gone to many Trump rallies. There is a lot of patriotic fervor there, lot of bands, music, national anthem singing...Some miscreants we believe were planted by the opposition, BLM (Black Lives Matter) people who got in and broke into the Capitol building in a very difficult exercise...crawling on the wall like military people. They opened the door and some others in their excitement got in...You cannot brand this beautiful nice patriotic rally as bad. We believe they were not really our people.”   

Vincent Xavier

He also said that he was not disrespecting the Indian flag and that he loved India, was proud of his ancestry and that “I consider this as my solemn responsibility to be a spokesperson for Indian Americans in the Republican Party.”

According to NDTV, he said he didn’t regret his decision of carrying the flag in the mob.

Complaint Against Him

A complaint has been registered at Delhi's Kalkaji Police Station on Friday against Vincent Xavier, reported ANI, citing the police.

The police further reportedly told ANI that Deepak K Singh, an advocate, has filed the complaint seeking action against Xavier under Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, 124 A of the Indian Penal Code and Section 15 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967.

According to ANI, Singh said:

“An Indian passport holder named Vincent Xavier has insulted the Indian national flag by holding it during the US Capitol protest. I request Facebook and Twitter to close his account under Section 15 124 Act.”

The police further told ANI: "We have received a complaint last night and we will be taking legal opinion to be clear whether a case is made or not.”

BACKGROUND

Pro-Trump protesters stormed the United States (US) Capitol in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, 6 January.

Members of both Houses of the US Congress were meeting to conduct the vote certifying the Electoral College victory of Joe Biden in the US presidential election. Both Houses had to be evacuated, before the Senate reconvened later.

Several hours after the crisis began, the Capitol Police finally managed to clear the mob from the building after 5:30 pm (EST), with the Capitol’s Sergeant-at-Arms confirming the building was secure, according to CNN.

(With inputs from NDTV, ANI and CNN.)