UK Khalistan protests: EAM Jaishankar slams 'differential standards' of security

Jaishankar also accused the UK of not meeting the obligation of providing security to the diplomats of the Mission

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Friday that security provided to the Indian High Commission in the UK was below expected standards during the pro-Khalistan activists’ protest in front of the mission in London, earlier this week.

He was interacting with students as part of a Yuva Samvada event hosted by BJP’s Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya.

The minister said the onus was on the host country to provide security for foreign diplomats to do their work. The day the “vandals” appeared before the High Commission, the security provided did not meet these expectations, he said.

“We had conversations with the British government after that. The next time it happened, things were a little different,” Jaishankar said.

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Responding to questions on people of Indian descent acting in conflict with the country’s interests, the minister said most of the non-resident Indians are deeply attached to India and took pride in its progress.

“There is a difference between having rights and misusing them. And when the other governments don’t appreciate this, I think they need to be reminded,” he said.

He said many countries have different views about their security and other people’s security. “We are not going to accept this kind of differential status,” he said.

Campus events planned

The Minister’s interaction with students in a packed RV Dental College auditorium was largely themed around what he called India’s repositioning as a culturally proud, globally respected power.

Earlier, addressing the students, he said the image switch has seen the country emerge stronger – from being a receiver of ideas and assistance, to a provider and responder.

Introducing the event to the audience, Tejasvi Surya said similar conversations and engagements with first-time voters assumed importance in the state’s run-up to the assembly election.

The interaction is the first in a series of on-campus events planned with prominent central and state leaders of the BJP, to discuss the roadmap to “a new Karnataka for a new India”.