Indian High Commission in London has responded with a bigger tricolour after pro-Khalistani activists pulled down India’s national flag on Sunday afternoon (local time). In a video widely shared on social media, an official at the Indian High Commission was seen rescuing the tricolour from a radical Sikh activist and throwing out Khalistani flag.
Officials from the mission said the “attempted but failed” attack had been foiled and that the tricolour was now flying “grander”, reported PTI. The official was lauded for confronting the separatist elements and throwing away a Khalistani flag from a protester who was seen hanging off the ledge of the first-floor window.
The tricolour flying atop the Indian High Commission in London was pulled down by a group of protesters waving separatist Khalistani flags and chanting pro-Khalistani slogans on Sunday, triggering outrage in India.
The external affairs ministry, meanwhile, summoned the senior-most UK diplomat in New Delhi late Sunday evening to convey India’s “strong protest” at the actions taken by separatist and extremist elements against the Indian High Commission in London.
“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,” the MEA statement said.
“India finds unacceptable the indifference of the UK government to the security of Indian diplomatic premises and personnel in the UK. It is expected that the UK Government would take immediate steps to identify, arrest and prosecute each one of those involved in today’s incident, and put in place stringent measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents,” it said. (Hindustan Times)