The UK on Thursday “strongly condemned” the significant security breach of external affairs minister S Jaishankar during his official visit to the United Kingdom
The incident occurred outside the Chatham House think-tank in London, where Jaishankar was participating in a discussion. A group of Khalistani extremists staged a protest, chanting slogans and waving flags, which escalated into a direct confrontation with the minister’s convoy.
As Jaishankar was leaving the venue, a man ran towards his car and tore the Indian national flag in front of London police officers. The act of vandalism was captured on video, showing the protester aggressively rushing towards the minister’s vehicle while shouting “Khalistan Zindabad”. Initially, the police appeared hesitant to intervene, but they eventually took the man and other extremists away.
Also read: Khalistani extremists heckle, attempt to attack EAM Jaishankar in London; man tears Indian flag
In a statement, the UK foreign office said: “We strongly condemn the incident that took place outside Chatham House yesterday 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.”
‘Misuse of democratic freedoms’: MEA
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) strongly condemned the incident, labeling it a “misuse of democratic freedoms” by a small group of separatists and extremists. The MEA statement emphasised that such actions are unacceptable and called upon the host government to fulfill its diplomatic obligations to ensure the safety of visiting dignitaries.
“We have seen the footage of a breach of security during the visit of EAM to the UK. We condemn the provocative activities of this small group of separatists and extremists. 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,” the MEA stated.
Jaishankar’s visit to the UK from March 4 to 9 aimed to strengthen the India-UK comprehensive strategic partnership, focusing on trade, health, education, people-to-people ties, and defense cooperation. He met with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and other key officials to discuss these bilateral issues.
The incident highlighted ongoing tensions between India and pro-Khalistan groups, particularly in the UK, where such groups have been active in recent years.