India reacts to pulling down of tricolor; removes security barricades outside British High Commission office in Delhi

According to sources, security barricades in front of the British High Commission in Delhi were removed in the afternoon three days after Khalistani elements pulled down the tricolor from the Indian High Commission office in London.

New Delhi:In an apparent tit-for-tat strategy against the recent pulling down of the tricolor by the Khalistani elements from the Indian High Commission in London, the Indian government on Wednesday removed all external security cover in front of the British High Commission and the residence of the British High Commissioner in New Delhi.

According to sources, security barricades in front of the British High Commission in Delhi were removed in the afternoon. The strict move comes three days after the Indian high commission in London was vandalized by Khalistani extremists, who also pulled down the tricolor from the High Commission office. The Khalistan sympathizers were protesting against the police crackdown on separatist Amritpal Singh back in India.

The British High Commission was tight-lipped on the removal of security from its Delhi office. A British High Commission spokesperson said, ''We do not comment on security matters''. This is the first such stringent move made by India against any country with which it has strong bilateral ties. Hours after the Khalistani sympathizers brought down the tricolor from the London High Commissioner's office, India's external affairs ministry summoned the senior-most UK diplomat late evening on 19 March to convey India’s strong protest at the actions taken by separatist and extremist elements against the Indian High Commission.

In response to a media query related to the issue, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, during a special briefing on Monday said, "We have already put out India's response to it in which UK Dy HC was asked for an explanation”. "Perpetrators need to be arrested and prosecuted. We have indicated to the British authorities the need to put up security at UK High Commission", Kwatra added.

On a similar note, in a meeting with the US Charge d’Affaires in New Delhi on Monday, 20 March, India conveyed its strong protest at the vandalization of the property of the Consulate General of India, San Francisco, the Ministry of External Affairs said. The US Government was reminded of its basic obligation to protect and secure diplomatic representation.

It was asked to take appropriate measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. "Our Embassy in Washington D.C. also conveyed our concerns to the US State Department along similar lines", a statement from MEA said. After vandalism in London, Sikh radicals attacked the Indian Consulate in San Francisco.

The United States has condemned the attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco. "We certainly condemn that vandalism. It’s just absolutely unacceptable. The State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service is working with local authorities", John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator for strategic communications at the White House told reporters on Tuesday.

"I can’t speak for the San Francisco police, but I can say that the Diplomatic Security Service is working with local authorities to properly investigate. And obviously, State Department is going to be working, from an infrastructure perspective, to repair the damage. But it’s unacceptable", he added.