India asks UK to protect its mission in London

India has asked the United Kingdom to ensure the security of its High Commission in London, as several organisations are planning to stage a protest in front of it on January 26 against the end of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

Ruchi Ghanashyam, New Delhi's envoy to London, had a meeting with British Home Secretary, Priti Patel, and conveyed to her “security and safety concerns” over “planned protests including on Republic Day at India House”, according to a post on Twitter by the High Commission of India in the United Kingdom.

The “India House” at Aldwych in London is the home to Indian High Commission in the UK capital and protests around it by some organisations on the occasion of the Independence Day of India on August 15 as well as on September 3 last year had turned violent.

The agitators— mostly Pakistanis living in the United Kingdom— had resorted to vandalism, while protesting against August 5 decisions of the Modi's government to end the special status of J&K and to reorganize the state into two Union Territories.

Some of the protesters had hurled eggs, tomatoes, frozen water bottles and even pieces of stone on the “India House” and had even broken a windowpane on September 3.

With several organisations planning to stage yet another protest near “India House” in London on the occasion of the Republic Day of India, New Delhi got in touch with the British government and asked it to ensure safety and security of its mission and its diplomats, consular officials and others in the UK capital.

The “Tehreek-e-Kashmir UK” has been joined by pro-Khalistani “Sikhs for Justice” and “World Sikh Parliament” to plan the protest on January 26 next against the Modi government's August 5 decision on J&K.