Khalistani protestors stage demonstrations as EAM participates in discussions at Chatham House
Our Bureau
New Delhi
India on Thursday said that it has seen footage of a breach of security during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to the UK and strongly condemned the “provocative activities” of these separatists and extremists.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson said that India deplores the misuse of democratic freedoms by such elements and expects the host government to fully live up to their diplomatic obligations in such cases.
“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 up to their diplomatic obligations,” an MEA spokesperson said.
Pro-Khalistan protestors staged a demonstration outside Chatham House in London, the venue where Jaishankar participated in a discussion on Wednesday (UK local time). The protestors gathered outside the building, holding flags and loudspeakers, and chanted slogans as Jaishankar participated in a discussion inside the venue.
The conversation with Bronwen Maddox, Director and Chief Executive of Chatham House, addressed India’s evolving foreign policy, regional dynamics, and global economic challenges.
Meanwhile, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has condemned the protests staged by pro-Khalistan elements outside Chatham House during the External Affairs Minister’s visit to the UK.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said, “We strongly condemn the incident that took place outside Chatham House yesterday during the External Affairs Minister’s visit to the UK. 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.”
Earlier in January, a group of pro-Khalistan extremists had gathered outside the Indian High Commission in London to stage a protest. They had also previously stormed a cinema in the London town of Harrow and attempted to stop the screening of the Kangana Ranaut starrer film “Emergency.”
Notably, in 2023, the Indian High Commission in London faced a violent attack by Khalistani supporters who were attempting to further the cause of Khalistan, advocating for the secession of the state of Punjab from India, as alleged by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
According to the NIA, the attacks in London were perpetrated in retaliation to the action taken by Punjab police against Amritpal Singh, Chief of Waris Punjab De, with the objective to influence the crackdown on the outfit and its leader.
