Incident occurs outside Chatham House event; local police detain attacker briefly
Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar faced a security breach in London on Wednesday (March 5) when a pro-Khalistani separatist ran towards his car and tore India’s national flag in an act of protest.
Heckler disrupts Jaishankar’s departure, tears Indian flag
The incident occurred outside Chatham House, where Jaishankar had attended an exclusive event organized in collaboration with the High Commission of India.
As Jaishankar’s vehicle prepared to leave, pro-Khalistani protesters gathered at the scene. One protester rushed in front of the minister’s car, waving an Indian flag before ripping it in two while chanting ‘Khalistan Zindabad’.
Watch the video here:
Local police intervene, attacker briefly detained
Videos show local law enforcement officers rushing to detain the Khalistani separatist. However, according to the independent news outlet Media Bezirgan, the man was briefly detained before being released.
Jaishankar, who was already inside the vehicle at the time, was not harmed during the incident.
Jaishankar’s visit to the UK amid rising Khalistani extremism
Jaishankar is currently on an official visit to the United Kingdom, where he has held discussions with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, among other senior officials.
On Tuesday, Jaishankar met Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and highlighted their discussions on talent mobility, people-to-people exchanges, and joint efforts to combat trafficking and extremism.
“A good meeting with Home Secretary @YvetteCooperMP today in London. We discussed the flow of talent, people-to-people exchanges, and joint efforts in tackling trafficking and extremism,” Jaishankar wrote on X.
His visit comes as incidents of Khalistani extremism continue to rise in the UK. Earlier this year, in January, pro-Khalistan extremists staged a protest outside the Indian High Commission in London. They also stormed a cinema in Harrow, attempting to halt the screening of the Bollywood film Emergency, starring Kangana Ranaut.