Flag Torn Amid Protest Outside Chatham House Event
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar faced harassment and an attempted assault by Khalistani extremists in London on Thursday (IST) while exiting his vehicle after attending an event at the Chatham House think tank.
A video circulating online shows a pro-Khalistan supporter rushing towards Jaishankar’s car and tearing the Indian national flag in front of London police officers, who appeared unresponsive. The incident occurred amid a protest by pro-Khalistan activists outside the venue where Jaishankar participated in a discussion.
Repeated Incidents of Pro-Khalistan Extremism
India has consistently urged countries such as Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom to take firm legal action against Khalistani terrorists. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has personally raised concerns with world leaders, particularly in Canada, where the Sikh community constitutes nearly 2% of the population.
BJP National Spokesperson RP Singh downplayed the influence of such elements, stating, “There are about 100-150 people across London who do such things. They do this just to draw people’s attention. They neither have a base there nor supporters here in India.”
UK’s Leaked Extremism Report Sparks Debate
Meanwhile, a leaked UK government report on ‘Extremism Review’ has identified both pro-Khalistan extremism and Hindu nationalist extremism as concerns. The report, titled Extremely Confused: The Government’s New Counter-Extremism Review Revealed, was authored by Andrew Gilligan and Dr. Paul Scott for the Policy Exchange think tank. It categorizes nine forms of extremism, including Islamist, extreme right-wing, extreme misogyny, pro-Khalistan extremism, and Hindu nationalist extremism.
While the report acknowledges that support for a Sikh state of Khalistan is not necessarily extremist, it warns that advocacy of violence in pursuit of the cause poses a security threat.
India’s Strong Diplomatic Response
Earlier this year, Sikh protesters vandalized the Indian High Commission in London, pulling down the Indian flag and smashing windows in response to the arrest of Amritpal Singh. Following that incident, India’s foreign ministry summoned the UK’s deputy high commissioner in New Delhi to lodge a formal protest over the security breach.
With repeated acts of vandalism and threats targeting Indian officials and institutions abroad, India continues to press the UK and other nations to take stronger measures against extremist elements operating on their soil.
