Foreign Secretary James Cleverly speaks out against pro Khalistan protests in London

Pro Khalistan protests at the Indian High Commission in London

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has said that UK will take action against pro Khalistan protesters who carried out a demonstration at the Indian High Commission on Wednesday, 22 March. He added a review of the security will also be conducted.

On Wednesday, over 2000 protesters gathered in Westminster and were seen carrying Khalistan flags. Even though the planned demonstration saw heightened security and barricades around the building which had been vandalised by protesters on 19 March, reports state that those participating were chanting slogans and hurling objects.

In a statement released by the UK government, Cleverly said, “Acts of violence towards staff at the Indian High Commission in London are unacceptable and I have made our position clear to the High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami. The police investigation is ongoing and we are in close contact with the Indian High Commission in London and the Indian Government in New Delhi. We are working with the Metropolitan Police to review security at the Indian High Commission, and will make the changes needed to ensure the safety of its staff as we did for today’s demonstration.

“We will always take the security of the High Commission, and all foreign missions in the UK, extremely seriously, and prevent and robustly respond to incidents such as this.

“The UK-India relationship, driven by the deep personal connections between our two countries, is thriving. Our joint 2030 Roadmap guides our relationship and shows what we can achieve when we work together, creating new markets and jobs for the two countries and helping to tackle shared challenges. We want to build deeper ties between the UK and India for the future.”

In contrast to the protests held on 19 March, the area around the mission had been barricaded with several police officers guarding the building, mounted officers patrolling the area on horseback, and helicopter surveillance.

This statement comes after the Indian government expressed concerns over the lack of security at the Indian High Commission in London.