Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday here said that the incident of security breach during External Affairs
Minister S Jaishankar’s event in London indicated “licence accorded to such forces” in UK.
Making this assertion, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Ministry of External Affairs had noted statement issued by UK Foreign Office regarding the incident, but “view of its sincerity would depend on the action taken against the culprits” on this and previous occasions.
In a statement released on Thursday, the UK had strongly condemned the security breach, terming any attempt to “intimidate, threaten, or disrupt” public events as “completely unacceptable.”
A purported video of the incident circulating on social media platform shows a man with the Indian tricolour rushing towards the car in which Jaishankar is seated. A group of protesters with pro-Khalistan flags can be seen shouting slogans even as the policemen stationed at the spot block the man and take him away. Protestors also tore up the Indian flag. The incident took place on Wednesday.
Jaiswal said the security breach during External Affairs Minister Jaishankar’s visit to the United Kingdom shows “both the licence accorded to such forces, as well as indifference to their intimidation, threats, and other actions aimed at impeding our legitimate diplomatic activities in UK”.
The incident occurred when a pro-Khalistan protestor tried to block Jaishankar’s convoy outside Chatham House in London.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India had conveyed its “deep concern” to the UK authorities, adding that there was a “larger context” to the incident.