Khalistan threat in UK: Why Indian envoy was stopped from entering gurdwara

The Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK), Vikram Doraiswami, was barred from entering a gurdwara in Glasgow, Scotland. The incident occurred in the midst of a controversy over Canada’s charge that India was involved in the murder of terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar . Since then, Khalistani separatists have been attempting to gain international support for their cause. Let’s take a closer look. Also read: How the pro-Khalistan sentiment has grown in Canada The incident In a purported video released on the “Sikh Youth UK” Instagram account, a man who was reportedly a pro-Khalistani activist was seen preventing Doraiswami from entering the Glasgow Gurdwara on Albert Drive. A man is heard stating in the video, according to ANI, “They are hurting Sikhs in Canada and other places, every Sikh should protest against any Indian Ambassador like we did here in Glasgow.”

In the parking lot, two men were visible on camera standing close to the High Commissioner’s vehicle. One of them was observed making an effort to unlock the car door, which had been locked from the inside. The footage then shows the high commissioner’s car exiting the Gurdwara grounds. After that, another man is heard telling the camera that this is how the gurdwara will treat any ambassador or government official from India. The Indian envoy was invited by the gurdwara managing committee. He is in Scotland to meet with representatives of the Scottish government, the diaspora, university students, and the local authorities. The staff of the gurdwara managing committee was also threatened, according to NDTV. The “Sikh Youth UK” claims that there is an ongoing ban on Indian officials visiting the gurdwara in their official capacities. “We know what games they are playing, what’s happening in Canada. The Canadian PM has openly condemned India and expelled Indian diplomats,” a man said in the video. A pro-Khalistan activist told The Times of India, “A few people turned up and told him he is not welcome and he left. There was a slight confrontation. I don’t think the gurdwara committee is too happy about what happened. But Indian officials are not welcome in any gurdwara in the UK.” “I don’t think the gurdwara committee is too happy about what happened. But Indian officials are not welcome in any gurdwara in the UK,” he claimed. “We are fed up with the UK-India collusion. The recent tensions since Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing have led to British Sikhs being targeted. This is to do with Avtar Singh Khanda and Jagtar Singh Johal too,” he said. Also read: Hardeep Singh Nijjar: How Western media ‘whitewashed’ the Khalistani’s crimes India’s response India has brought up the issue with the UK’s Rishi Sunak administration. The Scotland police have also been informed about it. The gurdwara’s organisers made every effort to keep the envoy safe. The BJP today condemned the incident. BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, “I strongly condemn this (that Vikram Doraiswami was allegedly stopped from entering a gurdwara in Scotland). Anyone from any religion or community can come here (gurdwara).” The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has also condemned the incident saying that the people of England are upset with the illegal arrest of Jaggi Johal. “People of England, they are upset with the illegal arrest of Jaggi Johal. That is the reason all of this is happening… We want to ask the Indian Embassy that any kind of tension should not be created… If something like this has happened with an ambassador in a Gurdwara, it affects the reputation of Sikhs…” SGPC general secretary Gurcharan Singh Grewal remarked. “Earlier, an ambassador was beaten, we don’t support it… The reputation of Sikhs is affected all over the world…There is no restriction on entering any Gurdwara. But I don’t know what their reasons were. To avoid any tensions created because of his (Vikram Doraiswami) visit, they must have stopped him…" he added. Also read: Meet Jagmeet Singh, Canadian MP influencing Trudeau’s pro-Khalistan politics Khalistanis in the UK Similar to Canada, the UK has a sizable population of Khalistani separatists. With pro-Khalistan activists staging demonstrations outside the Indian High Commission and consulates in the UK, the Khalistan issue has also strained ties between India and the UK. Khalistani supporters vandalised the Indian High Commission building in London in March this year and made an attempt to take down the Indian flag at the High Commission’s grounds. During a demonstration by Khalistani sympathisers, Avtar Singh Khanda, a self-described leader of the outlawed Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), was spotted tearing down the tricolour. Kanda, who passed away in June at a hospital in Birmingham, radicalised Sikh youths and is thought to have been a major influence on Amritpal Singh, the radical preacher and founder of “Waris Punjab De.” On the other side, Jagtar Singh Johal has been jailed in Delhi’s Tihar jail since 2017 due to his claimed connection with pro-Khalistani terrorist organisations. The safety of New Delhi’s ambassadors stationed in the UK has frequently been requested. The issue was brought up by the Indian High Commission after some pro-Khalistan groups distributed posters with the High Commissioner’s picture and name, encouraging violence against him and other Indian diplomats. Since then, security has been stepped up at the Indian High Commission in London. “No form of extremism” allowed When visiting India for the G20 Summit in Delhi earlier this month, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated that “no form of violence or extremism” was acceptable in the nation. “Let me just say unequivocally that no form of extremism or violence like that is acceptable in the UK,” Sunak said when asked about the Khalistan issue. In order to deal with PKE (pro-Khalistani extremism), he said, the UK is collaborating with the Indian government. Also read: Not just Nijjar: The 10 Khalistani names India shared with Canada in 2018 India-Canada row The UK incident comes amid a growing strain in India-Canada ties following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations of India’s involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar was killed in a Gurdwara parking lot in British Columbia on 18 June this year. There was credible evidence suggesting Indian government agents may have been involved in the assassination of Nijjar, according to Canadian Prime Minister  Justin Trudeau . He said, “We are there to work constructively with India. We hope that they engage with us so that we can get to the bottom of this very serious matter.” India has outrightly rejected the allegations, calling it “absurd” and “motivated.” New Delhi asked for proof to back up Ottawa’s assertions in public, but Trudeau hasn’t given any information on the information Canada’s intelligence services have gathered. As a result, there has been an escalating diplomatic crisis, which has seen  diplomats from both nations return home  and India stop visa services in Canada and label it as a haven for terrorists. With inputs from agencies