High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom, Vikram Doraiswami, has appealed to the Indian diaspora to avoid “misinformation” and “sensationalist lies” on the security situation in Punjab.
“Let me assure all the friends in the UK, especially brothers and sisters with relatives in Punjab, that there is no truth to sensationalist lies being circulated on social media,” Doraiswami said in a video message, adding that the “situation in your ancestral homeland is not what it being reported to be”.
“Do not believe a small handful of people putting out fiction and disinformation,” urged the Indian diplomat.
Crackdown on Sikh Radicals in India
Doraiswami stressed that all the people arrested in the police crackdown that began over weekend have criminal antecedents.
Four criminal cases on charges such as spreading disharmony, attempt to murder and attack on police personnel have been filed against radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh, the ‘Waris Punjab De’ ("Son of Punjab") chieftain.
Doraiswami underlined that Punjab has recently hosted two G20-related events in the last week, one on education and another on labour, noting that delegates from 30 countries attended these events, which showed that the situation in Punjab was safe for travel.
Another Pro-Khalistan Protest at the High Commission
Doraiswami’s statement came ahead of another protest by pro-Khalistan groups at the Indian High Commission in London.
In the wake of the unrest, some separatist groups based in the UK and other Western countries have accused New Delhi of “discrimination” against the populace in Punjab, which is home to over 25 million Sikhs.
Earlier, pro-Khalistan groups, which demand a separate Sikh homeland, held protests against New Delhi at the Indian High Commission in London, as well as at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco.
New Delhi summoned the senior most British diplomat in India late Sunday evening after some protestors vandalized the mission’s premises and tried to pull down the Indian flag.
The Indian Foreign Ministry also told the US charge’s affaires (CdA) in New Delhi that Washington should ensure the security of diplomatic premises, based on commitments under the Vienna Convention.