Increased security surrounding the UK mission due to protests from British Sikh organisations

The absence of security measures at its diplomatic mission drew a stern protest from the Indian government. Due to a planned protest organised by some British Sikh groups, there is an increased security presence and barricades have been set up outside the Indian High Commission here on Wednesday. Since before a protest on Sunday that resulted in violent disturbance at the India House, banners for a so-called “National Protest,” organised by organisations like the Federation of Sikh Organizations (FSO) and Sikh Youth Jathebandia, have been spreading on social media.Since the weekend, a number of officers in uniform have been patrolling the Aldwych neighbourhood, and vans from the Metropolitan Police have been parked at India Place. The purpose of the march on Wednesday is allegedly to protest the discriminating conduct of the Indian Police in Punjab.

The Indian High Commission in London has been striving to dispel rumours about recent events in Punjab and the enforcement action against the separatist group “Waris Punjab De” that have been going around. In a video shared on Twitter, Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami said, “Let me tell all our friends here in the UK, especially brothers and sisters with family in Punjab, that there is no reality to the sensationalist tales being disseminated on social media.”What is being said about the circumstances in your ancestral home is false. Please watch the televised interviews that the state’s elected chief minister and the local police authorities have conducted in order to get more information. Do not believe the few individuals spreading false information and fiction “said he.