India on Friday raised the issue of extremist elements in the United Kingdom and urged the country’s government to take strong public action, including deportation or legal prosecution, against the Khalistani radicals who recently threatened officers of the Indian High Commission in London after one of their key leaders Hardeep Singh Nijjar was gunned down in Canada.

As reported by IndiaNarrative.com, Khalistani extremists in the United Kingdom released a poster bearing pictures of top Indian diplomats – including High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami and the Consul General of India in Birmingham Shashank Vikram – threatening to avenge the killing of Khalistani terror outfit chief Nijjar in faraway Vancouver on June 19.

On Friday, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval made clear India’s strong stance when he met his British counterpart Tim Barrow in New Delhi today.

Agreeing to enhance cooperation to address violent extremism and radicalism, New Delhi emphasised that there can be “no justification” for violent extremism and radicalization in a democracy.

Barrow, who is in India along with a delegation of senior UK government officials for the India-UK Strategic Dialogue, was conveyed India’s displeasure as Doval urged the government led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to take strong public action against the Khalistani elements, including such as deportation or legal prosecution.

Just before the meeting between the two top security officals in the Indian capital, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on Thursday said that “any direct attacks” on the Indian High Commission in London are “completely unacceptable”.

“Any direct attacks on the Indian High Commission in London are completely unacceptable. We have made clear to High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami and the Government of India that the safety of staff at the High Commission is paramount,” tweeted Cleverly.

The Sunak government also amplified the importance which it attaches to the “safety and security of friends and colleagues”, and their premises, at the Indian High Commission in London.

Any direct attacks on the Indian High Commission in London are completely unacceptable.

We have made clear to @VDoraiswami and the Government of India that the safety of staff at the High Commission is paramount.

— James Cleverly🇬🇧 (@JamesCleverly) July 6, 2023

With similar posters inciting violence against Indian diplomats and premises abroad having also appeared in Canada, Australia and USA, India’s External Affairs Ministry (MEA) has taken up the issue with the local governments, urging them to not give space to those who advocate violence, propagate separatism or legitimize terrorism in the name of freedom of expression.

“As you are aware, we have had problems with the security of our mission in London. We have taken up this latest issue of threats against our diplomats with the UK authorities. We have noted these comments by UK Foreign Secretary, but we would naturally judge them by what happens on the ground,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Thursday.

In their extensive discussions on a broad bilateral, regional and global agenda, the two NSAs who have regularly engaged high-level dialogue, also reviewed the multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries as well as explored futuristic areas for technology collaboration.

🇬🇧 NSA Sir Tim Barrow met 🇮🇳 NSA Ajit Doval in New Delhi today. They held productive and wide-ranging discussions on furthering the UK-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and also covered global security issues. pic.twitter.com/OrHSPoVkpK

— UK in India🇬🇧🇮🇳 (@UKinIndia) July 7, 2023

After holding discussions on regional and global issues of mutual interest, NSA Doval and Barrow participated in the delegation-level talks where the two countries reaffirmed their close strategic partnership and agreed to accord maximum priority to further enhance the security linkages.

Besides agreeing to deepen mutually beneficial collaboration in critical and emerging technologies, India and UK also vowed to work closely on counter terrorism, counter terror financing, use of the internet for terrorism purposes, illicit drug trafficking and counter radicalisation.

The UK NSA is also scheduled to meet other dignitaries of the Indian government during his stay in New Delhi.

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