UK Condemns Security Breach During S Jaishankar’s Visit to London

The United Kingdom has strongly condemned the disruption caused by Khalistani extremists during the visit of India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to London. The incident occurred on Wednesday outside Chatham House, where a security breach took place as Jaishankar was departing the venue following a discussion.

According to reports, a man rushed towards the minister’s vehicle and tore the Indian national flag in the presence of police officers. The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) swiftly responded, asserting that any attempt to disrupt public events is unacceptable.

“We strongly condemn the incident that took place outside Chatham House during the External Affairs Minister’s visit to the UK. While the UK upholds the right to peaceful protest, any attempt to intimidate, threaten, or disrupt public events is completely unacceptable,” the FCDO stated on Thursday.

The Metropolitan Police acted promptly to address the situation. “We remain fully committed to ensuring the security of all our diplomatic visitors, in line with our international obligations,” the statement added.

The UK’s response came shortly after the Indian government strongly denounced the security lapse, describing it as “provocative” and a misuse of democratic freedoms. India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a firm message to the UK, stating, “We have seen the footage of the security breach 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 and expect the host government to fully uphold their diplomatic obligations.”

A widely circulated video of the incident shows the protester charging towards Jaishankar’s convoy while officers initially hesitated to intervene. The individual proceeded to tear the Indian tricolour while others shouted slogans. However, police officers swiftly moved in to detain the protester and other extremist elements.

Prior to this incident, Jaishankar engaged in extensive discussions at Chevening House with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy. Their talks covered key bilateral issues, including strategic coordination, political collaboration, trade negotiations, education, technology, mobility, and people-to-people exchanges.

During a session at Chatham House, Jaishankar was also questioned about the possibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi leveraging former US President Donald Trump’s diplomatic influence to resolve the Kashmir issue with Pakistan.

In response, Jaishankar firmly rejected the notion of third-party intervention, reiterating India’s independent approach to the issue. He emphasized that India had already taken decisive measures, such as the abrogation of Article 370, economic development initiatives in the region, and successful high-turnout elections.

However, he stressed that the unresolved aspect of the issue remained beyond India’s control. “I think the part we are waiting for is the return of the stolen part of Kashmir, which is under illegal Pakistani occupation. When that’s done, I assure you, Kashmir is solved,” Jaishankar stated.