NEW DELHI: Taking strong exception to Khalistani sympathisers breaching the security of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in London, India said it expects the UK to live up to their diplomatic obligations.
“We have seen the footage of a breach of security during the visit of EAM to the UK. We condemn the provocative activities of this small group of separatists and extremists. We deplore the misuse of democratic freedoms by such elements. We expect the host government in such cases to fully live upto their diplomatic obligations,” the External Affairs Ministry spokesperson said.
This incident occurred when a group of pro-Khalistan extremists tried to disrupt Jaishankar's visit for a discussion at Chatham House in London. The breach took place as the External Affairs Minister was leaving the venue after the event.
A video circulating online shows an individual aggressively charging toward S. Jaishankar’s convoy. Taking advantage of the police officers' brief hesitation, the protester tore the tricolour in front of the convoy while others in the group shouted slogans from a distance.
Another video has emerged showing Khalistani extremists protesting outside the venue where Jaishankar was engaged in discussions. The protesters can be seen waving flags and shouting pro-Khalistani slogans.
Earlier, Jaishankar held talks with the UK’s Secretary of State for Home, Yvette Cooper, focusing on issues such as trafficking and extremism. Concerns over the activities of Khalistan separatists in the UK were reportedly part of the discussions, as India has repeatedly raised this matter with British authorities.
After the meeting, Jaishankar shared on X (formerly Twitter), "We discussed the flow of talent, people-to-people exchanges, and joint efforts in tackling trafficking and extremism."
The UK strongly condemned the security breach, saying such attempts to "intimidate, threaten, or disrupt" public events are "completely unacceptable".
"We strongly condemn the incident that took place outside Chatham House yesterday (Wednesday) during the External Affairs Minister's visit to the UK," a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson said.
"While the UK upholds the right to peaceful protest, any attempts to intimidate, threaten, or disrupt public events are completely unacceptable.
"The Metropolitan Police acted swiftly to address the situation, and we remain fully committed to ensuring the security of all our diplomatic visitors, in line with our international obligations," the spokesperson said.
A Met Police spokesperson added: "As the Minister left the event, a protester ran in front of his stationary car waving a flag. He was quickly intercepted by officers and moved out of the way.
"He did not get close to the Minister, who was able to leave the area without further incident. There were no arrests."
(With inputs from agencies)