Any assaults made directly against the Indian High Commission in London have been sharply denounced as “completely unacceptable” by UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.
His remarks come in response to threats and attacks against Indian diplomatic posts in the US, Australia, and Canada, as well as some threat posters featuring the photographs of the Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, and the Consul General of India in Birmingham, Dr. Shashank Vikram, that have surfaced online.
Well said on Twitter on Thursday that any direct criticism of the Indian High Commission in London was completely unacceptable. The safety of the High Commission’s workers is of utmost importance, as we have made clear to @VDoraiswami and the Indian government.
Since Khalistani radicals attempted to tear down the Indian tricolor and broke windows in the High Commission building back in March, there has been a very noticeable Metropolitan Police security presence at India House in the heart of London.
‘Kill India’ posters caused a rift, and India summoned the Canadian High Commissioner. A “Khalistan Freedom Rally” has been scheduled for July 8 in Canada, according to a flyer distributed by pro-Khalistan leaders. The flier claimed that Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar had been murdered by the Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and the Indian Consul General in Toronto, Apoorva Srivastava. The incident caused a great deal of resentment among the Canadian-based Punjabi diaspora.
Pro-Khalistan protesters grabbed at the tricolour flying atop the Indian High Commission earlier in March while chanting their slogans. India protested vehemently to the British government about the security of its diplomatic presence after the event on March 19 and expressed worries about the location’s insufficient security.
