India has reacted angrily to the protests outside its embassy in London when Khalistani protesters climbed the building to bring down the national tricolour. The Centre’s Narendra Modi government targeted the British government headed by Rishi Sunak, himself a person of Indian origin, for not providing security outside the office of the British High Commission in London.
The Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that it had lodged a ‘strong protest’ with the UK as it summoned the ‘senior-most UK diplomat in New Delhi’ on Sunday ‘to convey India’s strong protest at the actions taken by separatist and extremist elements against the Indian High Commission in London earlier in the day.’
It said, “An explanation was demanded for the complete absence of the British security that allowed these elements to enter the High Commission premises. She was reminded in this regard of the basic obligations of the UK Government under the Vienna Convention. India finds unacceptable the indifference of the UK Government to the security of Indian diplomatic premises and personnel in the UK.”
In this video a member of staff at the High Commission of India grabs the Tricolour off the protester preventing it being set alight and takes away the other flag too. Later on a huge Tricolour is hung from the building. pic.twitter.com/jbuci3VNNX
— Naomi Canton (@naomi2009) March 19, 2023
The Indian government said that ‘it is expected that the UK Government would take immediate steps to identify, arrest and prosecute each one of those involved in today’s incident, and put in place stringent measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.’
The Indian High Commission office is situated in central London, not far from the official residence of the British prime minister. The British parliament is also barely couple of kilometers away from the building.
