Amid growing criticism against the UK over the attack on the Indian High Commission by pro-Khalistani groups, prominent geostrategist Brahma Chellaney said that UK is culpable in this incident, while India has been bending over backwards to build closer ties to the UK.
“It is ironic that under an Indian-origin PM, UK's ties with India continue to take a hit, even as Modi has bent over backward to build closer ties with UK, including fast-tracking FTA negotiations. UK cannot escape culpability in Indian mission's storming,” said Chellaney in a tweet, posted along with a video where pro-Khalistani groups can been seen protesting outside the mission. A person can be seen climbing up to the dias and taking down the Indian flag and putting up a Khalistani flag instead.
Security around the Indian High Commission was beefed up on Monday and Scotland Yard detained one person in connection with the vandalism. India asked the UK to arrest and prosecute those involved in the attack.
Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that India lodged a strong protest and clearly indicated to the British authorities the need for putting up adequate security at the Indian High Commission. India also summoned the senior-most British diplomat in Delhi and demanded an explanation over complete "absence of security" at the mission.
Senior Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor said that it is disappointing to see that a friendly government does not take elementary police precaution to ensure such incidents do not happen. "We already have an attack in Australia, now we have had an attack in London...are we going to allow this to happen everywhere. Our government should now go to all the host governments where there is such a possibility --Australia, Canada, the US, the UK and tell them that they must take extra special precautions outside our missions, that is our responsibility to demand it and then it is the diplomatic responsibility of those governments to provide it," Tharoor told reporters outside Parliament.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan condemned "the violent disorder and vandalism that took place". "There is no place in our city for this kind of behaviour," he said.
British Sikh House of Lords peer, Lord Rami Ranger, said the Sikh community is in “shock and disbelief” at how a handful of the misguided bunch can tarnish an illustrious and patriotic community. “They have also shown total disrespect to Sikh Gurus who paid the supreme sacrifice for their Mother India,” he said.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, a group of pro-Khalistan protesters attacked and damaged the Indian Consulate in San Francisco.
These attacks happened after the police crackdown on radical preacher Amritpal Singh and his associates in Punjab.
Also read: Khalistanis pull down tricolour outside Indian High Commission in UK; MEA summons UK envoy
Also read: Internet services suspended in Punjab till Sunday as police detains Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh
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