Protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi took an ugly turn on Wednesday in London, where some protesters allegedly took down the Indian national flag before tearing it.
A journalist working for India Today Group challenged the protesters in question for disrespecting the Indian national flag. The journalist said that she was intimidated by the protesters when she approached them with her question.
Aaj Tak, which is a part of the India Today Group, posted a video of the journalist being nearly pushed and threatened by the protesters, allegedly supporters of the pro-Khalistan movement. Another journalist from India came to her rescue. A couple of local police personnel were also seen intervening to calm down the situation.
The Indian journalist, who came to the rescue of the India Today journalist, later said, “I was covering the anti-Modi protests outside the 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the British prime minister, when I saw a group of protesters almost manhandling a fellow journalist. That’s when I intervened.”
He alleged that the pro-Khalistan movement supporters and members of Kashmir Liberation campaign had hijacked what was essentially the protests against Prime Minister Modi in London.
देखिए कैसे प्रधानमंत्री @narendramodi के लंदन दौरे के दौरान पार्लियामेंट स्क्वायर पर खालिस्तान और पाकिस्तान समर्थकों ने तिरंगे का अपमान किया और सवाल पूछे जाने पर आजतक की पत्रकार @loveenatandon के साथ बदसलूकी की. #ReporterDiary pic.twitter.com/FhLT88ebs7
— आज तक (@aajtak) April 19, 2018
The India Today reporter later said that she was manhandled just for asking question near the Parliament Square. The incident took place moments before Modi started his interactive session. The Indian tricolour was flying along with the flags of all the Commonwealth countries.