The UK still has details about the action against the London HC protesters on March 19

Twenty days after Sikh extremists tore down the Indian national flag at the Indian High Commission in London, the UK government has yet to share details of those arrested for trespassing citing privacy laws and has yet to install bollards outside the embassy to prevent radicals from driving any vehicle. to diplomatic facilities.

Unlike India, where the British High Commission is a fortress protected by the Delhi Police, the High Commission is on Aldwych Road, in the commercial part of London, with no barricades or protection from rebel mobs. The Delhi Police Special Cell has registered a case against the Sikh extremists for the violence on March 19, 2023.

It is understood that after India read the riot act to the British over the breach of Indian premises, London’s Metropolitan Police have posted two people 24 hours a day outside the High Commission and all post-incident demonstrations on March 19 are held across the street. The incident and the expected strong British response were raised by national security adviser Ajit Doval with his British counterpart Tim Barrows on March 30.

It is understood that while Rishi Sunak’s government has vowed to firmly tackle the problem of Sikh radicals, the British establishment, particularly intelligence, suffers from rancor over India’s rise and uses extremists and state media as lever on the Modi government. Despite evidence of extremists fundraising in the name of Punjab human rights violations in some UK gurudwaras handed out to British intelligence chiefs time and time again, Sikh radicals have had a free run in the UK. Kingdom and have been able to acquire huge properties. The alleged violation of human rights in Punjab is a standard excuse for Sikh radicals to seek political asylum in the UK.

The Modi government has taken the March 19 Indian flag-lowering incident very seriously and the UK government has been warned that bilateral relations will suffer if such an incident is repeated. While the Delhi Police, under instructions from the Home Office, have removed the barricades outside the British High Commission, the security of the British High Commission will be in jeopardy if there are further attacks on the Indian High Commission in London.

The fact is that the officer in charge of security at the Indian High Commission in London had personally informed his MI-5 counterpart about the March 19 protest well in advance and in writing. Despite all relevant security protocols being followed, the security of the High Commission was compromised as there was no one from the British establishment to prevent the breach of the Indian premises. This all happened after Pakistani sponsored radicals and extremists hurled stones at the High Commission of India on 16 August 2019, following the Article 370 withdrawal of Jammu and Kashmir.