New Delhi

India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar blamed the UK for not providing enough security at the Indian High Commission in London that was vandalised by the pro-Khalistan protesters.

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During an event of BJP party’s youth wing in southern Bengaluru city, Jaishankar accused the British government of not meeting its obligations for the security of diplomatic missions, saying that India would not accept differential standards of security.

He was displeased with the security arrangements provided at the Indian High Commission, even though the Indian authorities had remained vigilant at British High Commission in the capital New Delhi when a protest was taking place to condemn the Khalistani attack on Indian mission in London.

“On the flag and the security of the high commission, in this particular case in the UK – whenever any country sends an embassy anywhere abroad, it is the obligation of the receiving country to provide security for a diplomat to do his work.”

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“It is the obligation of the receiving country to ensure the embassy or the high commission or the consulate and their premises are respected. These obligations were not met,” Jaishankar said.

Without naming the UK, the minister claimed that many countries are “very casual” about security and slammed “this kind of differential standards”.

“Many countries are very casual about it (security). They have a very different view about their own security and a different view about other people’s security, but I can tell you as a foreign minister that we are not going to accept this kind of differential standards,” said the minister.

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Pro-Khalistan protest held outside Indian High Commission in London

Meanwhile, in Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that mere assurances weren’t enough and that the Indian government was expecting some strong action from their British counterparts.

“Let me just say we expect that host governments will take action to identify and prosecute all those involved and also take necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. We would hope host governments provide full and adequate protection to our missions as well as to the personnel working there…We are not interested in just assurances, I think we would like to see action,” he said.

Last week, pro-Khalistan protesters took down the Indian flag, which triggered a furious response in New Delhi.

After the UK deputy high commissioner was summoned, the security barriers outside the UK high commission and the UK envoy’s residence in New Delhi were removed. The Metropolitan police said they had arrested a man “on suspicion of violent disorder”.

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