Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami
London:
United Kingdom Minister of State for the Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan on Saturday said that she was “concerned” to see that the Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami was stopped from meeting the Gurudwara Committee in Glasgow.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Trevelyan said that the security and safety of foreign places is of utmost importance and places of worship in the United Kingdom should be open to all.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan said, “Concerned to see that the Indian High Commissioner @VDoraiswami was stopped from meeting with the Gurudwara Committee at the Gurudwara in Glasgow. The safety and security of foreign diplomats is of utmost importance and our places of worship in the UK must be open to all.”
Earlier today, India’s High Commission in London said it has reported to authorities in the UK the “disgraceful incident” at the Glasgow Gurudwara where elements from outside Scotland “deliberately disrupted” a planned interaction organised for the High Commissioner and Consul General of India.
In order to prevent any potential altercation, India’s High Commissioner and Consul General decided to leave the premises shortly after his arrival, according to the statement released by India’s High Commission in London.
“On September 29, 2023, three persons– all from areas outside Scotland–deliberately disrupted a planned interaction organized by the Gurudwara Committee for the community, the High Commissioner and the Consul General of India. This interaction was to discuss community and consular issues,” India’s High Commission in London statement read.
It further said, “The organizers included senior community leaders, ladies and Committee members, and a member of Scottish Parliament. They were threatened and abused by these elements. In an effort to prevent any potential altercation, the HC and CG decided to leave the premises shortly upon their arrival.”
The High Commission of India said it has reported the incident to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Metropolitan Police. Multiple community organizations including the organizers have formally regretted the incident and have urged the authorities to take action against the culprits, according to the statement.
“One of the non-local extremist elements attempted to violently force open the HC’s car door – a matter that will require suitable police consideration. It is due to the quick reaction of one of the organizers, who physically intervened at the car door, that a bigger incident was avoided,” India’s High Commission in London said in a statement.
According to a purported video posted on the Instagram channel of ‘Sikh Youth UK’, a man reportedly a pro-Khalistani activist was seen blocking Doraiswami from entering the Glasgow Gurudwara located on Albert Drive.
The latest incident comes amid a diplomatic row between India and Canada over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Gurudwara in British Columbia’s Surrey on June 18 this year.
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