India is calling for “action” from the US and UK and for prosecuting those “involved in incidents of vandalism”.
India has called for “action” against the perpetrators just days after pro-Khalistan activists reportedly vandalized Indian missions in the US and UK.
The Indian government said on Friday it wanted “action” – not just words of “reassurance” – against the perpetrators.
Arindam Bagchi, official spokesman for India’s Foreign Ministry, told media on Friday that India hopes the host governments “would prosecute those involved in these incidents rather than give assurances”.
To express their displeasure at the incidents, the Indian government called together diplomats from Great Britain and the USA and lodged a violent protest.
Mr Bagchi said the Indian government expects the US and UK to take precautions and preventive measures to avoid such incidents in the future.
“I think we’re not just interested in assurances, I think we’d like to see action,” he said.
Mr Bagchi also said that India has also raised the issue with the Canadian government. “We expect that in each country our diplomats will be able to carry out their legitimate and normal diplomatic duties and that the government of the host country will ensure an enabling environment for this.”
Earlier, Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar also expressed a strong stance against pro-Khalistan supporters tearing down the Indian tricolor at the Indian High Commission in the UK.
India would not accept different security standards, he said.
Mr Jaishankar also accused the UK government of failing to meet its obligation to provide security for the Indian mission’s diplomats.
“About the flag and the security of the High Commission, in this particular case in the UK – whenever a country sends an embassy anywhere abroad, it is the receiving country’s duty to provide security for a diplomat to do his job,” he added.
“It is the duty of the receiving country to ensure that the embassy or the High Commission or the consulate and their premises are respected. Those commitments have not been met.”
Meanwhile, it was reported that a group of Native Americans held a rally outside the consulate in San Francisco on Friday after the consulate was vandalized by pro-Khalistan activists early last week.
