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LONDON: The UK’s minister for Indo-Pacific has said that the safety and security of foreign diplomats is of utmost importance, her comment coming after extremists prevented Indian high commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswamifrom entering a gurdwara in Glasgow on Friday.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan posted on X that she was “concerned to see that the Indian high commissioner was stopped from meeting with the gurdwara committee at the gurdwara in Glasgow”, adding, “The safety and security of foreign diplomats is of utmost importance and our places of worship in the UK must be open to all.”
The Indian high commission in London issued a statement that it had reported the “disgraceful incident” outside the Glasgow gurdwara when Sikh extremists tried to open the Indian high commissioner’s car door (a major security breach) — preventing him from attending a function inside — to both the Foreign, Commonwealth& Development Office (FCDO) and to the metropolitan police.
The Indian high commission said it urged the UK authorities to take action against the culprits and revealed that it was only due to the quick reaction of one of the organisers of the event, who physically intervened at the car door, “that a bigger incident was avoided”.
The organisers of the event included senior community leaders, ladies, committee members and a member of the Scottish Parliament.
The diplomatic mission confirmed that three people — all from outside Scotland — “deliberately disrupted” a planned interaction organised by the committee of the Glasgow gurdwara in Albert Drive, which was being held for the community, the high commissioner and the consul-general of India in Edinburgh, Bijay Selvaraj. “This interaction was to discuss community and consular issues,” it said.
“They were threatened and abused by these elements. In an effort to prevent any altercation, the HC and CG decided to leave the premises shortly upon their arrival,” it said.
“One of the non-local extremist elements attempted to violently force open the HC’s car door — a matter that will require suitable police consideration,” it added. “Multiple community organisations, including the organisers, have formally regretted the incident and have urged the authorities to take action against the culprits.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We were called around 1.05 pm on September 29 to a report of a disturbance that happened in the Albert Drive area of Glasgow. There were no reports of any injuries and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.”
In a video of the incident, posted on Instagram, one of the extremists goes on a rant in Punjabi after the diplomatic car leaves, saying: “Servants of Indian nationalism kill our Singhs in Canada and England. Managements of gurdwaras should understand their responsibility. In these times, such ambassadors should be banned…”
Doraiswami had been in Scotland meeting with the First Minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf, Indian students, MSPs, business leaders, Indian students and the diaspora. Yousaf raised the issue of the detention of Scottish Sikh Jagtar Singh Johal with Doraiswami as well as minority community rights in India. But Doraiswami “stressed that due process is being given under Indian laws to Mr Johal, who faces eight serious terror charges”, and gave a “clear message that rights of all communities are guaranteed in India’s pluralist and free democracy”.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan posted on X that she was “concerned to see that the Indian high commissioner was stopped from meeting with the gurdwara committee at the gurdwara in Glasgow”, adding, “The safety and security of foreign diplomats is of utmost importance and our places of worship in the UK must be open to all.”
The Indian high commission in London issued a statement that it had reported the “disgraceful incident” outside the Glasgow gurdwara when Sikh extremists tried to open the Indian high commissioner’s car door (a major security breach) — preventing him from attending a function inside — to both the Foreign, Commonwealth& Development Office (FCDO) and to the metropolitan police.
The Indian high commission said it urged the UK authorities to take action against the culprits and revealed that it was only due to the quick reaction of one of the organisers of the event, who physically intervened at the car door, “that a bigger incident was avoided”.
The organisers of the event included senior community leaders, ladies, committee members and a member of the Scottish Parliament.
The diplomatic mission confirmed that three people — all from outside Scotland — “deliberately disrupted” a planned interaction organised by the committee of the Glasgow gurdwara in Albert Drive, which was being held for the community, the high commissioner and the consul-general of India in Edinburgh, Bijay Selvaraj. “This interaction was to discuss community and consular issues,” it said.
“They were threatened and abused by these elements. In an effort to prevent any altercation, the HC and CG decided to leave the premises shortly upon their arrival,” it said.
“One of the non-local extremist elements attempted to violently force open the HC’s car door — a matter that will require suitable police consideration,” it added. “Multiple community organisations, including the organisers, have formally regretted the incident and have urged the authorities to take action against the culprits.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We were called around 1.05 pm on September 29 to a report of a disturbance that happened in the Albert Drive area of Glasgow. There were no reports of any injuries and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.”
In a video of the incident, posted on Instagram, one of the extremists goes on a rant in Punjabi after the diplomatic car leaves, saying: “Servants of Indian nationalism kill our Singhs in Canada and England. Managements of gurdwaras should understand their responsibility. In these times, such ambassadors should be banned…”
Doraiswami had been in Scotland meeting with the First Minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf, Indian students, MSPs, business leaders, Indian students and the diaspora. Yousaf raised the issue of the detention of Scottish Sikh Jagtar Singh Johal with Doraiswami as well as minority community rights in India. But Doraiswami “stressed that due process is being given under Indian laws to Mr Johal, who faces eight serious terror charges”, and gave a “clear message that rights of all communities are guaranteed in India’s pluralist and free democracy”.
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