Two arrested for violent pro-Pakistan protests outside Indian High Commission in London

Two people have been arrested after Pakistan's diaspora, along with Khalistanis, launched a massive protest outside the Indian High Commission in London on Tuesday and broke a windowpane of the premises. The incident drew widespread condemnation.  

The Indian Mission in a tweet said, "Another violent protest outside the Indian High Commission in London today, 3 September 2019. Damage caused to the premises." 

London Mayor Sadiq Khan reacted to the incident saying, "I utterly condemn this unacceptable behaviour and have raised this incident with Metropolitan Police to take action." 

UK's Metropolitan Police in a statement to WION said, "There were two arrests for criminal damage at yesterday’s event outside the Indian High Commission".

New Delhi is expected to take up the matter with London on Tuesday's protests which were announced by Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi from the national assembly.

The protestors were opposing the revocation of special status for Jammu and Kashmir. 

This is the second major incident of protest outside the Indian Mission in less than a month in London. The Pakistani diaspora launched a violent protest on Indian Independence Day outside the mission leaving many from the Indian community stranded. Four people were arrested by the Metropolitan Police at that time.  

The second incident came on the day when British foreign secretary Dominic Raab "deplored" the violent protest on August 15. 

"Such violence should not be conducted anywhere else for that matter. Communities now need to reduce that tension but on a positive note, such as buildup confidence-building measures. This would not only allow reducing tension between communities in Kashmir and also between India and Pakistan," Raab said in the British Parliament in response to a question. 

Last week, ahead of their meeting on the sidelines of the G7 summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and raised the issue of violent protests that took place outside the Indian Mission. 

An Indian government readout said, that Prime Minister Modi "drew attention to the challenges posed by vested interests pursuing their motivated agenda, including by violent means." 

Adding, "In this context, he referred to the violence and vandalism perpetrated by a large mob against the High Commission of India in London on the last Independence Day of India." 

The British Prime minister has regretted the incident and assured the safety of the Indian Mission. 

The readout said, Prime Minister Johnson "assured that all necessary steps would be taken to ensure safety and security of the High Commission, its personnel and visitors." 

India had taken up with the United Kingdom the violent protests which took place outside the Indian High Commission on Independence Day and conveyed its concerns on how the security of the mission was undermined.