NSA Doval to send strong message to UK on Khalistani extremism

India will forcefully take up the Khalistan issue with the United Kingdom and National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval will ask the Rishi Sunak government to take strong action against those separatists who indulged in violence at the High Commission.

The issue would be taken up with UK's national security advisor, Tim Barrow during the India-UK strategic dialogue meet to be held in the national capital today.

Following the violence, the Indian High Commission had filed a complaint with the UK Home Office and police. Violence had taken place on March 19, following a crackdown on radical Sikh leader Amritpal Singh in Punjab.

Highly placed sources tell OneIndia that the NSA will take up the issue with his UK counterpart. The NSA would urge stringent action against all the pro-Khalistan elements in the UK, who have been functioning at the behest of Pakistan's ISI.

India has been raising this issue with the UK and Canada for long, but with no avail. The movement is spiralling out of control thanks to the silence by these governments, who have allowed such elements to thrive on the pretext of freedom of speech.

The source cited above said that the inaction by these two governments would only ensure that the diplomatic ties remain uncomfortable. India has got a response from Australia and the United States, but in the case of the UK and Canada, the response remains poor.

Earlier this month, pro-Khalistan supporters had pulled down the Indian flag at the Indian High Commission in the United Kingdom. External Affairs Minister, Dr. S Jaishankar had accused the UK of not meeting the obligation of providing security to the diplomats of the mission. He said that India would not accept differential standards of security.

"It is the obligation of the receiving country to ensure the embassy or the high commission or the consulate and their premises are respected. These obligations were not met," Jaishankar had said.

India has for long been raising the Khalistan issue with both the UK and Canada. The likes of proscribed terrorist, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun who heads the banned organisation Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) have been thriving for long on foreign soil. His extradition requests have not gone through and there have been allegations that the Canada government is trying to appease the Sikh diaspora.

During the meet, the NSA will make it clear that India will not continue to accept differential standards of security. The aim would be to make the UK accountable for the inaction against such elements.