‘Disgraceful’: India raises envoy’s denial of entry into Scotland gurdwara with UK
Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Dorwaiswami was stopped by Khalistani extremists from entering a gurdwara.
In Scotland’s Glasgow. Calling the incident ‘disgraceful’, India has reported the incident to the British government, demanding strict action against the culprits.
On Friday, Vikram Dorwaiswami had a meeting planned with the committee of the Glasgow Gurdwara Guru Granth Sahib. However, some radical British Sikhs blocked him from entering the gurdwara, saying he was “not welcome”.
In a statement on Saturday, the High Commission of India in London said that three people from outside Scotland “deliberately disrupted” the envoy’s visit. One of them even attempted to violently force open the diplomatic vehicle as senior diplomats arrived at the gurdwara.
The Indian envoy and Consul General of India (CG) decided to leave the premises as the Sikh radicals started hurling threats and abuses.
“On September 29, 2023, three persons — all from areas outside Scotland — disrupted a planned interaction organised by the Gurdwara Committee for the community, the High Commissioner (HC) and the Consul General of India (CG),” said the High Commission of India statement.
“This interaction was to discuss community and consular issues. The organisers included senior community leaders, ladies and Committee members, and a member of (the) 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,” it said.
The statement added that one of three men attempted to violently force open the envoy’s car door, which will require suitable police consideration.
“It is due to the quick reaction of one of the organisers, who physically intervened at the car door, that a bigger incident was avoided. The High Commission of India has reported this disgraceful incident to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Metropolitan Police,” the statement added.
The Scotland Police were informed when radical Sikh activists stopped Doraiswami from entering the gurdwara. Organisers from the gurdwara tried to ensure the envoy was safe. “We were called around 1.05 pm on Friday, 29 September, to a report of a disturbance that happened in the Albert Drive area of Glasgow. There were no reports of any injuries, and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances,” news agency PTI quoted a Police Scotland spokesperson as saying.
The incident came amid a massive diplomatic row between India and Canada over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil.
Earlier in June, Avtar Singh Khanda, the UK-based chief of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and the main handler of Khalistani separatist Amritpal Singh, died in a hospital in Birmingham. He had helped Amritpal Singh evade the police for 37 days in Punjab between March and April this year.
On the other hand, Jagtar Singh Johal has been lodged in Tihar jail in Delhi since 2017 for his alleged involvement with pro-Khalistani terror groups.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was in India for the G20 Summit in Delhi earlier this month, said “no form of violence or extremism” was acceptable in the country.
“Let me just say unequivocally that no form of extremism or violence like that is acceptable in the UK,” Sunak said when asked about the Khalistan issue. He added that the UK is working with the Indian government to tackle PKE (pro-Khalistani extremism).