"Disgraceful": India After Diplomats Stopped From Entering UK Gurdwara

In a strong statement on the Indian High Commissioner and Consul General being blocked from entering a gurdwara in Scotland, India has termed the incident "disgraceful" and said that the matter has been reported to the UK government as well as the police.

A purported video going viral on social media shows a man preventing the Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, from entering the gurdwara in Glasgow on Friday. Two men are also seen attempting to open the door of the High Commissioner's car in the parking area. The car is then seen leaving the premises of Glasgow Gurudwara Saheb. 

The incident comes amid the snowballing diplomatic row between India and Canada, which was triggered by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accusing "Indian government agents" of involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June. 

In a statement issued on Saturday, the High Commission of India in London said "extremist elements" disrupted a planned interaction organised by the Gurdwara Committee and that one of them tried to "violently force open" the door of Mr Doraiswami's car.

"On September 29, 2023, three persons - all from areas outside Scotland - deliberately disrupted a planned interaction organized by the Gurudwara Committee for the community, the High Commissioner and the Consul General of India. This interaction was to discuss community and consular issues," the statement said. 

"The organisers included senior community leaders, ladies and Committee members, and a member of Scottish Parliament. They were threatened and abused by these elements. In an effort to prevent any potential altercation, the High Commissioner and Consul General decided to leave the premises shortly upon their arrival," it added.

'Bigger Incident Avoided'

The High Commission said the attempt of one of the "non-local extremist elements" to violently force open the door of the Commissioner's car needs to be looked into by the police and pointed out that only the quick reaction of one of the organisers, who physically intervened, prevented what could have been a bigger incident. 

"The High Commission of India has reported this disgraceful incident to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the Metropolitan Police," said the statement. The FCDO is akin to the ministry of external affairs. 

The statement said the organisers and multiple community organisations have regretted the incident and have urged the authorities to act against the culprits.

Condemnation

In the video, posted on social media by a group called Sikh Youth UK, one of the men is heard saying this is how any Indian ambassador or any Indian government official who visits the gurdwara will be treated.

Condemning the incident, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has said that the envoy should not have been stopped from entering the gurdwara and that gurdwaras are for every religion.

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