New Delhi: India Thursday summoned the British chargé d’affaires to lodge a protest against the breach of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s security by Sikh separatists in London.
The external affairs minister (EAM) held a public event at Chatham House. As he was leaving the venue late Wednesday evening, protesters gathered on the other side of the road, waving flags related to the Sikh separatist movement. One individual broke the cordon and tore an Indian flag right in front of Jaishankar’s vehicle, according to purported videos from the incident.
Earlier, India condemned 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,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement.
In March 2023, Sikh separatists breached the security of the Indian High Commission in London and detached the tricolour, in retaliation to efforts by the Punjab Police to arrest Sikh separatist Amritpal Singh. Singh was eventually arrested and subsequently became a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha at the end of the Indian general election in 2024.
In September 2023, Sikh separatists prevented India’s High Commissioner to London, Vikram Doraiswami, from entering a gurdwara in the Scottish city of Glasgow. India has consistently raised the issue of separatism in the UK.
Jaishankar, who is in the UK currently, will later travel to Ireland as a part of a five-day trip to the two countries. He has met a number of senior British ministers, including Foreign Secretary David Lammy at Chevening House and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. The external affairs minister also called on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
During his discussions with Cooper Tuesday, Jaishankar raised the issue of tackling extremism, apart from the flow of talent to the UK and people-to-people exchanges.
A good meeting with Home Secretary @YvetteCooperMP today in London.
We discussed the flow of talent, people to people exchanges, and joint efforts in tackling trafficking and extremism.
🇮🇳 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/AQmo5w8iA0
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) March 4, 2025
Jaishankar is also set to inaugurate Indian consulates in Manchester and Belfast during his ongoing trip to the UK. He is also set to visit Dublin, the first high-level leader from India to travel to Ireland since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in 2015.
During his visit to Ireland, the announcement of a joint economic commission is a likely outcome. Jaishankar is expected to meet President Michael D. Higgins, call on Prime Minister Micheál Martin as well as to hold hour-long talks with his Irish counterpart Simon Harris.
The EAM will also be delivering a speech at the University College of Dublin, before proceeding to Belfast to open the new consulate.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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India needs “unknown men” again. UK must not mind as we will be cleaning their stables after all. “Unknown men” are the perfect anti-dote for Khalistani terrorism.