Glasgow (Scotland): Amidst the heightened tension between India and Canada over the murder of a Sikh activist, top Indian Diplomats in UK were stopped from entering a Gurdwara in Glasgow, Scotland.
India called the action “disgraceful” and asked the British government to take strict action against the culprits.
According to the Indian High Commission in London, the High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami and Consul General of India Bijay Selvaraj, were invited by the Gurdwava Committee to discuss important community and consular issues.
“(However) 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”, the Indian High Commission said. “The organizers included senior community leaders, ladies and Committee members, and a member of the Scottish Parliament. They were threatened and abused by these elements”, it said.
“(However) 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”, the Indian High Commission said.
“The organizers included senior community leaders, ladies and Committee members, and a member of the Scottish Parliament. They were threatened and abused by these elements”, it said.
A video of the incident showed Doraiswami leaving the gurudwara compound for his car. Two men are then seen trying to open the vehicle’s door but are stopped by another person there.
“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”, Indian High Commission said.
Flash:#India has raised with the #UnitedKingdom foreign office and the police the incident in which its High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami was prevented from entering a gurudwara in Scotland, according to government sources.#Khalistan https://t.co/JRW427E53t pic.twitter.com/2dHnQrgRAz— Yuvraj Singh Mann (@yuvnique) September 30, 2023
Flash:#India has raised with the #UnitedKingdom foreign office and the police the incident in which its High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami was prevented from entering a gurudwara in Scotland, according to government sources.#Khalistan https://t.co/JRW427E53t pic.twitter.com/2dHnQrgRAz
The Indian High Commission further said that Doraiswami and Bijay Selvaraj left the venue to avoid any further altercation.
“In an effort to prevent any potential altercation, the HC and CG decided to leave the premises shortly upon their arrival”, it said.
Friday’s incident came amid a massive diplomatic row between India and Canada over the killing of Canadian Sikh separatist leader involved with the Khalistan movement Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.
Earlier in June, Avtar Singh Khanda, the UK-based Sikh leader with alleged ties to the Khalistan movement, died in a hospital in Birmingham.
On the other hand, Jagtar Singh Johal, a 36 year-old campaigner for Sikh human rights, was arrested in 2017 and currently lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail. Johal travelled to India from the United Kingdom in October 2017 to get married but was arrested.
Meanwhile, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee General Secretary Gurcharan Singh Grewal commenting on the "disgraceful" incident in Glasgow said the people of England are upset with, what he called, the illegal arrest of Jaggi Johal.
"That is the reason all of this is happening", he said.
He however said what happened to the Indian High Commissioner in Glasgow was not good and such incidents "affect the reputation of Sikhs".
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