NEW DELHI: India on Friday urged the UK to act against pro-Khalistan elements responsible for breaching the security of external affairs minister S Jaishankar in London, pointing to Britain’s “indifference” to acts of intimidation and threats by the separatists.
The external affairs ministry doubled down on the issue of a pro-Khalistan activist breaching Jaishankar’s security while he was leaving Chatham House after an event on Wednesday evening, and said the incident reflected the “licence accorded to such forces” in the UK.
On Thursday, both India and Britain condemned the incident that occurred on the second day of Jaishankar’s nearly week-long visit to the UK and Ireland. The British chargé d’affaires was called in to the external affairs ministry and served a demarche or a formal diplomatic protest, while the British side said threats to public events were unacceptable.
“While we have noted the statement issued by the UK Foreign Office on the matter, our view of its sincerity would depend on the action taken against culprits on this and previous occasions,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. He was referring to earlier protests by Khalistani separatists that targeted the Indian mission in London.
The Indian side, Jaiswal said, has conveyed it “deep concern” to UK authorities about the breach of security arrangements during Jaishankar’s visit by “UK-based separatist and extremist elements”.
“There is a larger context to the incident. It brings out both the licence accorded to such forces, as well as indifference to their intimidation, threats and other actions aimed at impeding our legitimate diplomatic activities in the UK,” he added.
India has for long conveyed its concerns to authorities in the UK, US, Canada and Australia about pro-Khalistan elements targeting Indian diplomatic premises and diplomats.
On Wednesday, a small group of pro-Khalistan activists gathered on the opposite side of the road from Chatham House, home to the Royal Institute of International Affairs, and protested with yellow flags behind metal barriers while Jaishankar was speaking within the building.
As the minister emerged from Chatham House after the conclusion of his event and was about to enter a vehicle that was part of a motorcade, a man with an Indian flag emerged from behind the barriers, got past police personnel and got close to the car. He stood in front of the vehicle and tore the flag before he was bundled away by police.
Away from the media glare, people familiar with the matter from both sides sought to highlight the positive outcomes of Jaishankar’s visit, which included a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and extensive talks with foreign secretary David Lammy spread over one-and-a-half days in Kent.
The people noted the overall visit had gone very well, and it provided the two sides an opportunity to discuss crucial issues amid geopolitical changes created by the policies of the US administration. “Overall, the meetings were very positive and focused on a lot of important matters,” one of the people said, requesting anonymity.
“We shouldn’t let the visit be overshadowed by one incident though the British side should act on India’s concerns about the extremist elements,” a second person said.