Khalistan Protesters Smash Windows of Indian High Commission in London, One Held

Video Producer: Shohini Bose

Video Editor: Pawan Kumar

A man was arrested on Sunday, 19 March, on the suspicion of violent disorder after a crowd gathered and broke windows at the Indian High Commission in London.

The police were called to the building at Westminster's Aldwych after the incident unfolded.

Videos on social media purportedly showed a crowd waving "Khalistan" banners and a man removing the Indian flag from the balcony on the first floor of the building. The crowd was also heard chanting slogans in support of Khalistan.

Terrifying and heartbreaking to witness the Khalistani terrorists try to desecrate Indian flag, smash glass and attack Bharat in London as I passed by the Indian High Commission. pic.twitter.com/1Ar9aSqJmT

— Rashmi Samant (@RashmiDVS) March 19, 2023

The police said that two security guards sustained injuries and a probe is underway, BBC reported.

Condemning the incident, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said that "the violent disorder and vandalism that took place" was unacceptable. "There is no place in our city for this kind of behaviour," Khan tweeted.

The British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis slammed the incident as "disgraceful" and "totally unacceptable."

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The alleged vandalism comes amid a state-wide crackdown on the separatist outfit Waris Punjab De and its radical leader Amritpal Singh in Punjab.

India Slams UK's 'Indifference,' Demands 'Strict Action'

Meanwhile, the Indian government summoned the top diplomat of Britain in India late on Sunday over the incident. In a sharp statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said that the "absence of security" at the high commission building and the UK government's "indifference" to Indian bureaucrats and other personnel stationed in the country was "unacceptable."

"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."

MEA

The Indian government also said that it expects UK to take immediate steps to identify and arrest all the persons involved in the incident, and put in place stringent measures to ensure that such an event does not take place again, NDTV reported.

Protest in Delhi

Several people from the Sikh community staged a protest at the British High Commission in Delhi on Monday, against pro-Khalistani groups who had allegedly pulled down the Indian flag at the Indian High Commission in London earlier.

(With inputs from BBC and NDTV.)