LONDON: Tensions flared outside the Bangladesh Embassy on Sunday when Pro-Khalistan Sikh activists and a group of British Indian Hindus confronted each other during a demonstration related to the alleged killings of Hindus in Bangladesh. The Sikhs were aligned with Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) and Hindus with India’s ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).
The protest, which sought to stand in solidarity with persecuted minorities in Bangladesh, was met with anti-India slogans from the Khalistani group, which also waved Khalistani flags.
Veteran Khalistani activist Paramjeet Singh Pamma, a coordinator of the Khalistan Referendum campaign, confronted the Hindu protest group gathered outside the embassy premises. A scuffle occurred between Pamma and BJP’s Hindutva supporters, prompting swift intervention by the Metropolitan Police officers stationed at the scene.
Police separated the two groups and restored order.
Pro-Khalistan Sikh activists formed a protective presence around the embassy building. Demonstrators raised slogans accusing the Indian government of responsibility for deaths linked to Sikh activists, including chants such as: “Who Killed Hadi — Modi, Modi, India” and “Who Killed Shaheed Nijjar — Modi, Modi, India”.
Paramjeet Singh Pamma is designated by India as a “most wanted terrorist,” a label applied by Indian security agencies to several Khalistan-linked figures. However, the legal status of Pamma in the United Kingdom differs from India’s position.
Paramjeet Singh Pamma said: “I reside openly in the United Kingdom; no UK court has convicted me of terrorism-related offenses; no extradition request by India has resulted in my removal and UK authorities have not legally upheld India’s allegations against me.
“We gathered here today to expose India’s dirty face. India is involved in persecuting Sikhs, Muslims and Christians at home, it cannot blame Bangladesh for human rights violations. We are focused on the next phase of Khalistan Referendum, which will reveal the full scale of atrocities committed by India against the Sikhs.”
