PM Modi holds talk with British counterpart Sunak, calls for strong action against anti-India elements

Three weeks after pro-Khalistani protesters vandalised New Delhi’s diplomatic mission in London, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke to his UK counterpart Rishi Sunak and asked him to take strong action against anti-India elements in the United Kingdom.

Modi also asked Sunak to help India bring back from the UK the fugitive economic offenders like Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi.

The two prime ministers spoke over the telephone and reviewed the progress on a number of bilateral issues and implementation of the India-UK Roadmap 2030, which Modi and his then counterpart Boris Johnson had agreed upon in May 2021.

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“They expressed satisfaction at the recent high-level exchanges and growing cooperation, particularly in trade and economic sectors. They agreed on the need for early conclusion of a mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement between the two countries,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

The talks between the two leaders signalled that while growing activities of the pro-Khalistani Sikhs in the UK had emerged as an irritant in the relations between New Delhi and London, they would not let it cast a shadow over the negotiations for the bilateral FTA.

Modi raised the issue of the security of India’s diplomatic establishments in the UK. He called upon the British government to take strong action against anti-India elements in the UK. Sunak conveyed to Modi that the attack on the High Commission of India was totally unacceptable. He also assured Modi of the security of Indian mission in the UK and its personnel.

Modi raised the issue of economic offenders, who had sought refuge in the UK. He sought progress on the return of the fugitives from the UK so that they could stand trial in India. He invited Sunak to the G20 Summit to be held on September 9 and 10. Sunak appreciated the progress made under India’s presidency of the G20 and reiterated the UK’s support to India’s initiatives and their success, the release said.

A group of pro-Khalistani Sikhs had on March 19 taken down Tricolour flying at High Commission of India in London. They had been protesting against the search launched for radical preacher Amritpal Singh.