New Delhi: During bilateral talks between National Security Advisers of India and the UK on Friday, July 7, India urged the UK to initiate actions like the deportation of pro-Khalistani extremists residing in the UK and threatened Indian diplomats.
The talks were held between delegations led by UK National Security Adviser, Tim Barrow, and his Indian host, NSA Ajit Doval at Hyderabad House on Friday.
Doval’s meeting with Barrow took place against the backdrop of increased friction between the two sides over the frequent violent targeting of Indian diplomatic missions and officials by Khalistani protestors.
A new protest has been planned in the UK for July 8 in response to the killing of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar last month. Just like in the US and Canada, posters announcing the rally has carried photos of the Indian high commissioner Vikram Doraiswami and another senior Indian diplomat.
As per sources, the Indian side “raised the issue of the extremist elements in the UK threatening individual officers of the Indian High Commission and urged the UK Government to take strong public action against these elements such as deportation or legal prosecution”.
“Both the sides agreed to work closely on counter-terrorism, counter-terror financing, use of the internet for terrorism purposes, illicit drug trafficking and counter radicalisation,” sources added.
Earlier on Thursday at the weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said that countries like Canada, the US, the UK, and Australia where pro-Khalistanis have issued threatening posters to Indian diplomats should not give space “to those advocating violence or legitimising terrorism, in the name of freedom of expression”.
