India stalls UK trade talks over Khalistan issue: Reports

India has stalled trade talks with Britain after accusing it of failing to condemn the Sikh extremism in the country.

Sikh extremist groups had attacked the Indian High Commission in London last month, the Times said in a report on Monday citing British government sources.

On March 18, protesters with Khalistan flags and banner staged a demonstration at the High Commission and also took down an Indian Flag from the first floor balcony of the building. The protesters were denouncing the recent police action in Punjab.

"Indians don't want to talk about trade until they get a very public demonstration of condemnation of Khalistan extremism in the UK," the Times said while quoting a Whitehall source.

Punjab has been on the boil since the police launched a manhunt against radical Sikh leader, Amritpal Singh. The chase has been on for nearly three weeks now, but Singh has managed to dodge the security mechanism successfully.

To get the negotiations back on track the US home office has planned to announce a crackdown on Sikh extremists and supporters of the Khalistan movement.

Relations between India and the UK have been sour over the past couple of years over the same issue. A trade deal has been for long a prized goal for the British government, which wants to cut tariffs and open opportunities for UK services to operate in India, which is the second largest country in the world.

A UK trade department told the newspaper, "both the UK and India are committed to delivering an ambitious and mutually beneficial free trade agreement and concluded the latest round of trade talks last week."