India on Thursday condemned the heckling of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar by Khalistani extremists in London, saying that New Delhi “deplores the misuse of democratic freedoms by such elements”.
In a statement, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India expects the host government will live up to its diplomatic obligations.
“We have seen the footage of a breach of security during the visit of EAM to the UK. We condemn the provocative activities of this small group of separatists and extremists. We deplore the misuse of democratic freedoms by such elements. We expect the host government in such cases to fully live upto their diplomatic obligations,” he said.
The statement comes after Dr Jaishankar was heckled by Khalistani extremists in London. The incident took place on March 5, when the Indian minister was leaving Chatham House after attending an exclusive event.
In a purported video of the incident that is making rounds on social media, pro-Khalistani protestors are seen heckling Dr Jaishankar. One of them comes in front of Dr Jaishankar’s convoy and tears an Indian flag before being taken away by the police.
On the other side of the road, several protesters holding pro-Khalistani flags shouted slogans against India.
According to reports, the man was briefly detained by the local police. While the EAM escaped unharmed, the incident has raised serious questions about the safety of the visiting Indian minister.