India's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Vikram Doraiswami, was blocked from entering a gurdwara in the Scottish city of Glasgow where he was reportedly scheduled to hold a meeting with its managing committee. This came against the backdrop of the India-Canada diplomatic tensions that were triggered by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's unsubstantiated allegations against New Delhi regarding the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The Indian government has raised the issue with the UK, news agency IANS reported, citing sources in the Ministry of External Affairs. "Instead of getting into an argument, the Indian High Commissioner decided to leave. The issue has been raised with the UK Foreign Office and also the police," they said.
The incident which took place on Friday, was purportedly captured in a video posted by 'Sikh Youth UK' on its Instagram channel. In the video, which has been added with dramatic effects and a background track, a Sikh man can be seen running towards a black sedan which was presumably Doraiswami's official vehicle. He subsequently attempted to open the car's rear passenger door, but was locked from the inside at that very moment.
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"They are hurting Sikhs in Canada and other places, every Sikh should protest against any Indian Ambassador like we did here in Glasgow," the man is heard saying in the video. The 'Sikh Youth UK' claims that there is an ongoing ban on Indian officials visiting the gurdwara in their official capacities.
(Vikram Doraiswami, India's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom)
The video then shows the high commissioner’s car leaving the Gurdwara premises. The video then shows another man speaking to the camera that this is how any Indian ambassador or any Indian government official who visits the Gurdwara will be treated. "We know what games they are playing, what’s happening in Canada. The Canadian PM has openly condemned India and expelled Indian diplomats," he remarked.
A pro-Khalistan activist informed that the Indian envoy was supposed to hold a meeting with the gurdwara committee. "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," the activist was quoted as saying by Times of India.
(With inputs from ANI)