UK MP Bob Blackman Raises Alarm Over Jaishankar’s Security Breach by Khalistanis- wna24
New Delhi: British Opposition MP Bob Blackman on Thursday raised concern and condemned the recent “attack” on India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, in London by “Khalistani thugs” calling it as an affront to democracy.
Blackman, who is also the Chair of the Backbench Business Committee, urged Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to make an official statement to Parliament regarding the safety of Indian officials and visitors in the UK. He called the incident “unacceptable” and emphasized that the UK government must ensure the security of its foreign visitors.
In a post on X, describing the event, Blackman said, “Yesterday, the External Affairs Minister from India, Shri Jaishankar, was attacked when he was leaving a public venue where he had been addressing an audience of Indian people in this country. He was attacked by Khalistani thugs.”
He further stated that the incident was a direct attack on democratic values and India, urging the government to take stronger action to protect international visitors in the future.
“That is against the Geneva Convention, and it appears that the police and the security forces failed to ensure that he was made safe. That is an affront to democracy, and an affront to our friends and allies in India,” he added.
According to the Metropolitan Police, the incident occurred on Wednesday when an aggressive protester waved a flag in front of Jaishankar’s stationary car. He was “quickly intercepted by officers and moved out of the way.” The police confirmed that Jaishankar was unharmed and able to leave the area without further incident. No arrests were made during the security breach.
Following the incident, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called on the UK government to fulfill its diplomatic responsibilities, demanding more action to prevent such breaches of security. The MEA also summoned UK Chargé D’Affaires Christina Scott to register India’s concerns about the attack on Jaishankar.
Meanwhile, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) strongly condemned the incident, emphasising that “any attempts to intimidate, threaten, or disrupt public events are completely unacceptable.” A spokesperson for the FCDO stated that the Metropolitan Police had acted swiftly to resolve the situation and ensure the security of all diplomatic visitors.