A small group of protesters carrying pro-Khalistan placards and banners in help of Kashmiri separatist leaders gathered for a low-key demonstration outdoors the Indian Excessive Fee right here on Thursday, amid a powerful safety presence.
The protests, that are being coordinated throughout the UK and US, are deliberate over a course of some days as a part of a #PunjabUnderSiege social media marketing campaign.
The Metropolitan Police mentioned it’s conscious of the “deliberate protests” and has a “strong” policing plan in place to stop any dysfunction.
“The Met is conscious of deliberate protests outdoors the Indian Excessive Fee this week and has a sturdy policing plan in place to reply to any crime or dysfunction,” a Met Police spokesperson mentioned.
“We’re working with organisers to minimise disruption and delays within the space,” the spokesperson added.
A number of law enforcement officials could possibly be seen patrolling the realm and a police van was stationed outdoors India Home, because the protesters had been as soon as once more confined to a barricaded enclosure reverse the mission.
Downing Avenue mentioned British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is conscious of the difficulty and the UK International Workplace is main discussions across the “safety assessment” for the Indian Excessive Fee in London, confirmed by the British authorities earlier.
Requested if the difficulty is more likely to impression the continuing India-UK free commerce settlement (FTA) negotiations, a Downing Avenue spokesperson mentioned: “The 2 points are unconnected and the commerce talks with India proceed. Either side wish to see an enhanced relationship between our two nations.
“On safety, we expressed our considerations concerning the scenes we noticed outdoors the Excessive Fee and a assessment is underway.” Whereas the newest protests outdoors India Home in London are anticipated over three days till Saturday, there’s a demonstration deliberate outdoors the Indian Consulate in Birmingham on Sunday.
On Friday, the identical teams referred to as a protest on the LA Federal Constructing in Los Angeles within the US to “increase consciousness for #PunjabUnderSiege”.
Banners for such demonstrations have been circulating on social media to coincide with the Punjab Police’s manhunt for Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh.
Final weekend noticed teams gathering at Parliament Sq. in London together with related protests referred to as within the cities of Toronto, Vancouver, Indianapolis and Fresno.
Throughout a deliberate demonstration outdoors the Indian Excessive Fee in London final Wednesday, protesters hurled colored flares and water bottles in the direction of the mission.
They’ve since taken to social media to allege that the objects had been hurled by the Indian mission as a substitute, allegations which have been countered by India Home.
It comes within the wake of violent dysfunction on the Indian mission earlier this month, when pro-Khalistan extremists smashed home windows and likewise tried to drag down the Tricolour from its flagpole on the mission.
India registered a powerful protest with the UK authorities and the difficulty was additionally raised within the Home of Commons. It adopted UK International Secretary James Cleverly’s assertion to sentence the “unacceptable“ acts of violence and an assurance to conduct a safety assessment on the Indian mission in London.
“We are going to all the time take the safety of the Excessive Fee, and all international missions within the UK, extraordinarily critically, and stop and robustly reply to incidents equivalent to this,” mentioned Cleverly.
In the meantime, authorities ministers have additionally been holding talks with Indian Excessive Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami to reiterate plans to assessment the safety measures at India Home. P
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(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is printed from a syndicated information company feed)
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