Any direct attacks on Indian mission ‘completely unacceptable’, says UK

Any direct attacks on Indian mission ‘completely unacceptable’, says UK

London: The UK government on Thursday declared that any direct attacks on the High Commission of India in London are “completely unacceptable” amid anti-India attacks by Khalistani extremists emerging on social media channels. UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly took to Twitter to declare that the safety of the staff at India’s diplomatic mission in the country is paramount.

His intervention follows threats and attacks targeted at Indian diplomatic missions in the US, Australia and Canada and some threatening posters emerging online with images of Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami and Dr Shashank Vikram, the Consul General of India in Birmingham.

“Any direct attacks on the Indian High Commission in London are completely unacceptable,” said Cleverly.

“We have made clear to Vikram Doraiswami and the Government of India that the safety of staff at the High Commission is paramount,” he said. There has been a very visible Metropolitan Police security presence at India House in central London since the High Commission building was targeted by Khalistani extremists, who tried to pull down the Indian tricolour and smashed windows back in March.

Cleverly responded by saying that the British government will work with the Met Police to “review security at the Indian High Commission, and will make the changes needed to ensure the safety of its staff”.

Cleverly’s latest statement this week follows Indian envoys and senior diplomats being threatened by Khalistani extremists in different parts of the world.

On Monday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told reporters that “radical, extremist Khalistani ideology” is not good for India or its partner countries such as the US, Canada, the UK and Australia.

“We have already requested our partner countries like Canada, the US, the UK and Australia where sometimes Khalistani activities happen, not to give space to Khalistanis. Because their radical, extremist thinking is neither good for us nor for them nor our relations,” he said, when asked about the threatening posters emerging in these countries and the Indian Consulate in San Francisco being targeted for arson. Earlier in March, the Tricolour flying atop the Indian High Commission was grabbed at by the protesters chanting pro-Khalistan slogans.

Following the incident on March 19, India registered a strong protest with the British government over the safety of its diplomatic mission and questioned the lack of sufficient security at the premises.