They’re believed to be supporters of a Sikh separatist motion searching for to create a brand new homeland or breakaway state.
Police mentioned officers had been known as however protesters had largely dispersed by the point they arrived.
“An investigation was launched, and one male was arrested close by a short while afterward suspicion of violent dysfunction. Inquiries proceed,” the drive mentioned.
The Indian authorities mentioned it had summoned British Deputy Excessive Commissioner Christina Scott in New Delhi to demand a proof.
“India finds unacceptable the indifference of the U.Okay. authorities to the safety of Indian diplomatic premises and personnel within the U.Okay.,” the Indian authorities mentioned in an announcement.
The incident in London got here a day after police in India’s Punjab state launched a manhunt to seize Amritpal Singh, a separatist chief who helps the Khalistan motion for a separate Sikh homeland. His supporters staged protests within the majority Sikh state over the weekend and practically 80 of them had been arrested. Singh has not but been arrested.
The Khalistan motion is banned in India, the place officers see it and affiliated teams as a nationwide safety menace. However the motion nonetheless has some help within the state, in addition to past, in international locations like Canada and the UK that are dwelling to a large Sikh diaspora.
U.Okay. International Workplace Minister Tariq Ahmad mentioned he was “appalled” by the incident in London.
“This can be a utterly unacceptable motion in opposition to the integrity of the Mission and its workers,” he wrote on Twitter. “The U.Okay. authorities will all the time take the safety of the Indian Excessive Fee critically.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan condemned “the violent dysfunction and vandalism.”
“There is no such thing as a place in our metropolis for this type of conduct,” he mentioned.
Related Press Author Krutika Pathi in New Delhi contributed to this story.
