In an enraging move, protesters in London pulled down the Indian Tricolor on March 19, 2023. This came after the crackdown on Khalistan sympathizer and Waris de Punjab leader Amritpal Singh in Punjab. The protesters shouted pro-Khalistan slogans and created a situation of chaos at the London High Commission on Sunday.
This has sent the Indian community across the globe into fits of anger, and they are demanding strict action against the disrespect. A source stated that within a few hours of the incident, the ‘senior-most’ UK diplomat in Delhi was summoned to take care of the matter, and it was made clear that India will not tolerate such extremists.
Deputy British High Commissioner Alex Ellis condemned the act in a tweet. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs also expressed its disappointment at the British Government. The security forces have also come under a barrage of attacks after their inability to stop the protesters.
As a reply to the protestors, an even bigger Tricolor was unfurled at the Indian High Commission in London. The photos and videos of these events have gone viral on social media, and the Indian audience is applauding this move. “Zanda ucha rahe humara,” tweeted BJP leader Jaiveer Shergill. With tensions high due to Amritpal Singh’s escape and the NSA being invoked in Punjab, a large part of the Sikh community has openly expressed its dissent, some even opting for violent means. Just a little while after the Tricolor incident, an Indian consulate was attacked by pro-Khalistanis in the US.
This growing unrest has created a situation of massive panic and mass hysteria. Nobody knows how far this will escalate. While the governments of both the United Kingdom and India have stated their zero tolerance for this, it remains to be seen how the Amritpal case will unfold and what its repercussions will be.