INDIA condemned a security breach in London during its foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar’s visit, where a protester broke through a police cordon, stood in front of his car, and tore the Indian flag before being removed by police.
The Indian foreign ministry called the group behind the protest a "small group of separatists and extremists" and urged Britain to uphold its "diplomatic obligations."
Videos shared on social media showed protesters waving flags of the Khalistan movement and shouting slogans outside Chatham House, where Jaishankar was speaking on Wednesday. One protester broke through the police barrier as he was leaving but was quickly taken away by officers.
Jaishankar is on a six-day visit to the United Kingdom and Ireland.
"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," said foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in a statement.
Britain’s foreign office has not yet responded to a request for comment from Reuters.
The Khalistan movement, which seeks a separate Sikh homeland from India, is viewed as a security threat by the Indian government. It has also been a point of tension in India’s relations with Canada.
India had previously called on Britain to monitor UK-based Khalistan supporters more closely after protesters carrying Khalistan banners removed the Indian flag from the country’s diplomatic mission in April 2023.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Emma Raducanu during a practice session REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge
