NEW DELHI: India on Friday pressed the UK to take action against the pro-Khalistan elements involved in the breach of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's security in London and said that the incident reflected the "licence" accorded to such forces.
A pro-Khalistani protester attempted to breach barricades, while others shouted anti-India slogans as External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar left Chatham House after concluding an interactive session at the institute on Wednesday evening.
"We have conveyed our deep concern to the UK authorities about the breach of security arrangements by UK-based separatist and extremist elements during the external affairs minister's visit," external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
"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 said.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson condemned the provocative actions of separatist and extremist elements, emphasizing that India deplores the misuse of democratic freedoms and expects the host government to uphold its diplomatic obligations.
"We have seen the footage of a security breach during the External Affairs Minister's visit to the UK. We strongly condemn the provocative activities of this small group of separatists and extremists. The misuse of democratic freedoms by such elements is deplorable, and we expect the host government to fully adhere to its diplomatic obligations in such cases," the spokesperson said.
The UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) also denounced the protests staged by pro-Khalistan elements outside Chatham House during the minister's visit. The Foreign Office stated that any attempts to intimidate, threaten, or disrupt public events are completely unacceptable.
(With inputs from agencies)