The planned Khalistani protest rally outside the Indian High Commission in London received a cold response as only a handful of protesters joined the protest on Saturday, amid visible police presence in the area.
According to reports, the protest had a relatively low-key turnout with only 30-40 protesters, using controversial posters including pictures of the Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami and Consul General of India in Birmingham Dr Shashank Vikram. The protest wrapped up sooner than expected amid heavy police presence.
Similar protests have been planned in the United States and Canada. Meanwhile, Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu said there was no disorder or no signs of protests outside the Indian embassy in Washington as he reviewed security arrangements. Heavy police personnel was deployed outside the Indian consulate in San Francisco to avoid any possible unrest by Khalistani supporters.
The Indian consulate in San Francisco was set on fire earlier this month. The video, with the words “violence begets violence” emblazoned over it, also showed news articles related to the death of Canada-based Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, one of India's most-wanted terrorists who carried a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Canada last month.
Some Khalistan supporters also protested in front of the Indian consulate in Canada's Toronto on Saturday. Members of the Indian community with national flags were seen countering the Khalistani protesters there.
Stance of India, UK on pro-Khalistan protests
Earlier this week, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that posters that call for violence against Indian diplomats and missions are "unacceptable", while speaking about activities carried out by Khalistani elements in Canada and the United Kingdom.
"In the name of freedom of expression, space to the terrorist elements should not be given and we are very serious in resolution of this issue," he said.
The UK government had also reiterated that any attacks on the Indian High Commission are 'unacceptable as Khalistani protesters ramp up attacks against Indian diplomats.
"We have made clear to Vikram Doraiswami and the Government of India that the safety of staff at the High Commission is paramount," said UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.
On March 19, the tricolour flying atop the Indian High Commission in London was grabbed at by a group of protesters waving separatist Khalistani flags and chanting pro-Khalistani slogans, leading to an arrest related to the violent disorder. The UK government will take the security of the Indian High Commission here "seriously", top British officials have said as they condemned as "disgraceful" and "completely unacceptable" the vandalism at the mission.
Khalistani posters trigger outrage
Some Khalistani posters in Canada had sparked outrage across India by calling India's High Commissioner to Ottawa Sanjay Kumar Verma and Consul General in Toronto Apoorva Srivastava as "killers" of Nijjar. Indian-Canadian MP Chandra Arya said, "We should note the snakes in our backyard," as he showed the poster that said there should be a "Khalistan Freedom Rally."
"While it is good to see Canadian authorities are noticing, we should note the snakes in our backyard are raising their heads and hissing" “It is only a question of time when they bite to kill,” he added.
It came a month after Khalistanis, marking the 39th anniversary of Operation Blue Star, put up a tableau of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi with blood on her clothes and a poster that read, "Revenge of attack on Shri Darbar Sahib".
(with agency inputs)
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