Modi Urges UK Leader to Take ‘Strong Action’ After Protest Outside Indian Embassy

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi presents his national statement on day two of COP26 at SECC in Glasgow, United Kingdom, on Nov. 1, 2021. Alastair Grant/Pool/Getty Images/TNS

India’s prime minister has demanded “strong action” from the British government after Sikh separatists conducted protests and vandalism outside the Indian High Commission in London last month.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a phone conversation with his British counterpart, Rishi Sunak, on April 13 and raised the security issue of Indian diplomatic establishments in the United Kingdom.

Modi urged Britain to take “strong action against anti-India elements” after Sikh separatists—who seek an independent Sikh homeland called Khalistan—protested outside the Indian Embassy in London.

Modi also brought up the issue of economic offenders who sought refuge in Britain. He sought progress on their return in order for the fugitives to appear before the Indian judicial system, according to his office.

In response, Sunak condemned the protest as “unacceptable violence” and said that “extremism had no place in the UK.” He assured that steps are being taken to protect Indian Embassy personnel in London.

The two leaders also discussed “ongoing negotiations” on the UK-India Free Trade Agreement and reflected on “the huge opportunities a deal would offer to Indian and British businesses and consumers.”

“Both agreed to direct their teams to expedite progress to resolve outstanding issues and ensure a world-leading deal that would see both economies thrive,” Sunak’s office said in a statement.

Protests erupted at the Indian embassy in London on March 20, resulting in the arrest of a man and injuries to two security guards. A video shared on social media showed a man removing the Indian flag from the embassy while a throng waved yellow flags with the word “Khalistan” on them.

British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis said on Twitter that he condemns “the disgraceful acts today against the people and premises of the [Indian High Commissioner] – totally unacceptable.”

‘Complete Absence’ of British Security

Following the protest in London, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs summoned the senior-most British diplomat in New Delhi to lodge a “strong protest” with the British government over the incident.

In a statement on March 19, the ministry said that “an explanation was demanded for the complete absence of the British security that allowed these elements to enter the High Commission premises.”

“She was reminded in this regard of the basic obligations of the UK government under the Vienna Convention,” it stated, seemingly referring to British Deputy High Commissioner to India Christina Scott.

It urged British authorities to “take immediate steps to identify, arrest, and prosecute each one of those involved” in the protest and enforce “stringent measures” to prevent the reoccurrence of such incidents.

“India finds unacceptable the indifference of the UK government to the security of Indian diplomatic premises and personnel in the UK,” the ministry added.

Three days later, British Foreign Minister James Cleverly said the government would review security at the Indian High Commission in London and the police investigation was underway.

The incident came after police in India’s Punjab state launched a manhunt to capture Amritpal Singh, a separatist leader who supports the Khalistan movement. His supporters staged protests in the majority Sikh state and 112 were arrested, the Press Trust of India reported.

In San Francisco, police officers arrived at the Consulate General on March 20 to find shattered glass windows. Workers described protesters trying to enter the building. Police said that the suspects had not been arrested.

The Khalistan movement is banned in India, where officials see it and affiliated groups as a national security threat. But the movement still has some support in the state and beyond in countries like Canada and the United Kingdom that are home to a sizable Sikh diaspora.

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.