daily in Britain The UK government, according to The Times, has denounced the assault on the Indian high commission in London last month, but New Delhi wants it to go farther.
According to a story in the British newspaper The Times on Monday, India has accused Britain of neglecting to denounce a Sikh extremist group that stormed the Indian high commission in London last month and halted trade talks between the two nations.
The senior-most British diplomat, deputy high commissioner Christina Scott, was summoned to New Delhi’s foreign affairs ministry to register a protest after pro-Khalistan protesters tore down the Indian flag at the high commission on 20 March.
The UK government reportedly denounced the attack, but the Indian government wants it to go a step further and openly denounce the gang, according to The Times.
It claimed that India has “disengaged” from trade negotiations and made it clear that there would be no progress without a public denunciation of the Khalistan movement, citing senior British government sources.
The involved Indian ministries have been contacted by HT for comments; this item will be updated when they do.
Free trade discussions between Britain and India have begun in New Delhi. late January. By year’s end, a deal was anticipated to be finalised to increase yearly bilateral commerce.
The deal has been prioritised by Britain as part of its post-Brexit strategy and is expected to virtually increase British exports to India.
India stated last month that it anticipated the UK government would take “immediate steps to identify, arrest, and prosecute each and every one of those involved” in the attack on the mission, as well as put in place “stringent measures” to avoid similar instances from occurring in the future.
Videos from past protests showed a small number of pro-Khalistan activists chanting anti-Indian slogans in front of the Indian embassy. Many protesters brandished the yellow and black flag of Khalistan, while some held signs demanding the “liberation” of hardline Sikh preacher and Khalistan supporter Amritpal Singh.
In the footage, one of the protesters is shown scaling a balcony and, amid applause from the other guys, removing the Indian flag from a pole in front of the high commission.
When British police officers arrived on the scene, they stopped the demonstrators from approaching the Indian high commission’s entrance.
Amritpal Singh, who has been listed as a fugitive and has been on the run, was the target of police in Punjab’s search for him at the time of the protests.
Similar demonstrations and destruction have occurred in the past few years outside the Indian mission in London. In addition, the Indian side has complained to the governments of Australia and Canada about the pro-Khalistan activists’ and groups’ actions, such as the destruction of temples and the holding of an illegal “Khalistan referendum” by Sikhs for Justice.
