Pro-Khalistan activists breach EAM’s security

The incident took place when Jaishankar was leaving Chatham House on Wednesday evening. A purported video of the incident shows a man carrying the Indian flag rushing towards Jaishankar’s vehicle. Even as he was restrained and taken away by police personnel, a group of protesters with pro-Khalistan flags can be seen shouting slogans.

“We have seen the footage of a breach of security during the visit of the External Affairs Minister to the UK. We condemn the provocative activities of this small group of separatists and extremists,” the Ministry of External Affairs’ official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

“We deplore the misuse of democratic freedom by such elements. We expect the host government in such cases to fully live up to their diplomatic obligations,” he said.

A spokesperson of UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: “We strongly condemn the incident that took place outside Chatham House… during the External Affairs Minister’s visit to the UK. While the UK upholds the right to peaceful protest, any attempts to intimidate, threaten, or disrupt public events are completely unacceptable. The Metropolitan Police acted swiftly to address the situation, and we remain fully committed to ensuring the security of all our diplomatic visitors, in line with our international obligations.”

A PTI report from London quoted a Metropolitan Police spokesperson as saying: “As the minister left the event, a protester ran in front of his stationary car waving a flag… He was quickly intercepted by officers and moved out of the way. He did not get close to the minister who was able to leave the area without further incident. There were no arrests.”

In January, a group of pro-Khalistan activists had gathered outside the Indian High Commission in London to stage a protest. In 2023, pro-Khalistan supporters had attacked the Indian High Commission.

With PTI, London