India raises with UK denial of envoy’s entry into Scotland gurdwara

NEW DELHI: India has raised with the United Kingdom foreign office and the police the incident in which its High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami was prevented from entering a gurdwara in Scotland, according to government sources.

“Doraiswami was on Friday stopped by a few radicals from entering a gurdwara in Glasgow. The Indian High Commissioner decided to leave instead of getting into an argument”, as per the sources.

According to a purported video posted on the Instagram channel of ‘Sikh Youth UK’, a man, reportedly a pro-Khalistani activist, was seen blocking Doraiswami from entering the Glasgow gurdwara located on Albert Drive. This comes amid a diplomatic row between India and Canada over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

https://x.com/ANI/status/1707979069571449130?s=20

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday has condemned the incident. “I strongly condemn this (that Vikram Doraiswami was allegedly stopped from entering a gurdwara in Scotland). Anyone from any religion or community can come here (gurdwara). We are not that religion that believes in violence, instead we are among those who are saviours of humanity. Sikhs are the saviours. PM Modi has praised the work of our community. Sikhs are represented everywhere in the world. The safest place for the Sikhs in the world is in India…”, BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has also condemned the action. SGPC General Secretary Grewal said that the UK envoy should not have been stopped from entering the gurdwara and that gurdwaras are for every religion.

Meanwhile, in the purported video posted on social media by the ‘Sikh Youth UK’,  a protestor is heard saying, “They are hurting Sikhs in Canada and other places, every Sikh should protest against any Indian Ambassador like we did here in Glasgow”.

The ‘Sikh Youth UK’ claims that there is an ongoing ban on Indian officials visiting the gurdwara in their official capacities.

The video shows two men near the High Commissioner’s car in the parking area. One of them is seen attempting to open the car door, which has been locked from the inside. The purported video then shows the high commissioner’s car leaving the gurdwara premises. The video then shows another man speaking to the camera that this is how any Indian ambassador or any Indian government official who visits the Gurdwara will be treated.

“We know what games they are playing, what’s happening in Canada. The Canadian PM has openly condemned India and expelled Indian diplomats”, he said.

Meanwhile, a formal reaction from the Indian High Commission in London and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on the incident is awaited.

The UK incident comes amid a growing strain in India-Canada ties following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations regarding the Indian government’s involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar

India has outrightly rejected the claims, calling it “absurd” and “motivated”. Notably, Canada has yet to provide any public evidence to support the claim about the killing of Nijjar. (ANI)