The British newspaper The Times published a report on Monday, April 10, that stated that India has halted trade talks with the British government following the attacks on Indian High Commission in London. The attacks were carried out by Khalistani supporters living in Britain. However, India has now denied these reports and said that they have not halted the trade talks.
Ministry of External Affairs denies media reports of India halting trade talks with the #UnitedKingdom over Khalistan supporters’ rampage.
— News18 (@CNNnews18) April 10, 2023
News18’s @sanjaysuri88 and @abhishekjha157 with details #India #UnitedKingdom #UK | @GrihaAtul pic.twitter.com/KdjzsXyJ06
Khalistanis and Pakistanis have always targeted Indian High Commission in London, it has always been a soft target for them whenever India decided to act against Pakistan-backed terrorism in India. Due to the large Pakistani diaspora in the United Kingdom, even their politicians have encouraged these attacks, in violation of the Geneva Convention.
As per a report in The Times, India paused trade talks with the United Kingdom following the recent attacks by Pakistan-backed Khalistanis on Indian High Commission. Notably, following the controversial Brexit vote, the UK banked on trade with countries like India to make up for its divorce from Europe.
As per the report in The Times, to get the negotiations back on track, the UK home office, in the coming weeks, is planning an announcement, and is also planning to finally crack down on Sikh extremists and supporters of the Khalistan movement calling for the independence of Punjab in India.
A trade deal with India has been a stated goal of the British government, especially after it cut off from Europe following Brexit. However, the recent incidents, with Khalistanis being allowed to attack Indian High Commission in London have thrown a spanner in the works. With its current financial situation, Britain can’t afford to antagonise India but as per domestic politics, they can’t afford to crack down on Khalistanis attacking the Indian embassy.
The recent attacks on Indian High Commission in London started after India cracked down on the fugitive Amritpal Singh who was a champion for Khalistan. While he remains on the run, his aides were arrested and Khalistanis in UK and USA attacked Indian High Commissions to register their support for the separatist leader.
Meanwhile, a UK trade department spokesman told The Times, “The foreign secretary has condemned the recent acts of violence at the Indian high commission, and we are working with the Metropolitan Police to review security and make changes to ensure the safety of its staff.”
However, the Indian government has now dismissed The Times’ report and said that the Khalistani attacks on Indian High Commission are not going to stop the trade talks between India and the UK.
- * This report has been updated based on the Indian government’s response to The Times report
