London : The Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Dorwaiswami, who was touring Scotland this week was blocked from entering a gurdwara in the city of Glasgow by pro-Khalistan extremists, an incident the Indian mission dubbed as disgraceful before reporting it to the UK government.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the High Commission of India in London said that three people from outside Scotland deliberately disrupted the visit on Friday evening, and one even attempted to violently force open the diplomatic vehicle as senior diplomats arrived at Glasgow Gurdwara Guru Granth Sahib on Albert Drive.
As they hurled threats and abuses, the High Commissioner (HC) and Consul General of India (CG) decided to leave the premises to avert any further altercation. On September 29, 2023, three persons all from areas outside Scotland disrupted a planned interaction organised by the Gurdwara Committee for the community, the High Commissioner (HC) and the Consul General of India (CG), said the High Commission of India statement.
This interaction was to discuss community and consular issues. The organisers included senior community leaders, ladies and Committee members, and a member of (the) Scottish Parliament. They were threatened and abused by these elements. In an effort to prevent any potential altercation, the HC and CG decided to leave the premises shortly upon their arrival, it said. The statement goes on to add that one of three elements attempted to violently force open the HC's car door, which will require suitable police consideration.
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It is due to the quick reaction of one of the organisers, who physically intervened at the car door, that a bigger incident was avoided. The High Commission of India has reported this disgraceful incident to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Metropolitan Police, the statement added. The FCDO Minister for Indo-Pacific took to social media soon after to express her concern over the incident.
Concerned to see that the Indian High Commissioner, Vikram Doraiswami, was stopped from meeting with the Gurudwara Committee at the Gurudwara in Glasgow. The safety and security of foreign diplomats is of utmost importance, and our places of worship in the UK must be open to all, Anne-Marie Trevelyan said in a post on X.
