India to take up with UK attack on high commission by Pak-backed protesters

India is taking up with the United Kingdom the damage done to the Indian high commission in London during a Kashmir-related protest, people familiar with the development said on Wednesday.

Tuesday’s violent protest outside the high commission is the second incident in a month. The Independence Day celebrations by the Indian diaspora in London were also disrupted by Pakistan-backed protestors and pro-Khalistani elements, who pelted stones and eggs on the building and Indians gathered outside.

The Indian side had then conveyed its concerns to British authorities about the damage done to the Indian mission in London and the harassment of members of the Indian community by groups with strong Pakistan-backed elements.

New Delhi has also been concerned about the manner in which the continuing protests have been played down by British officials.

These concerns would also be conveyed to the UK authorities when the latest incident is taken up through diplomatic channels.

Britain’s Foreign Office had called last month’s protests as “overwhelmingly peaceful” while Scotland Yard called it “largely peaceful”.

The official Twitter handle of the Indian high commission in London had sought to draw the attention of the UK government to the violence and tagged the foreign office to a photo of the damage caused by the protest yesterday, including a shattered window pane.

Indian officials believe that the protests - media reports indicated that 10,000 people were brought to the high commission in coaches -- were part of Pakistan’s efforts to internationalise the Kashmir issue.

According to news agency ANI, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told British Parliament on Tuesday (local time) that any violence against the British Indians or any other community residing in the United Kingdom is ‘deplorable’.

“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,” he said, according to ANI.

First Published: Sep 04, 2019 14:03 IST