Khalistan Tops The Agenda As NSA Ajit Doval Meets UK Security Chief Today

Indian National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval will discuss concerns regarding the activities of pro-Khalistan radicals with his UK counterpart Tim Barrow during their meeting at Sardar Patel Bhawan in Delhi on Friday (7 July).

The meeting follows the mysterious death of Avtar Singh Khanda, the United Kingdom (UK)-based chief of the Khalistan Liberation Force and alleged handler of separatist Amritpal Singh, in a Birmingham hospital on 15 June.

Doval has been in contact with Barrow regarding the rise of pro-Khalistan extremism in the UK and its implications for bilateral relations.

There has been serious concerns in India over what appears to be a soft approach by the British core establishment towards the issue.

The Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressed displeasure when Khanda and other radicals desecrated the Indian tri-colour during a protest at the Indian High Commission in London on 19 March.

This marked the first instance in which the Delhi Police filed a first-information report for an overseas crime. The case was subsequently handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) following the intervention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The Delhi Police's special cell named Khanda, Gursharan Singh, and Jasvir Singh as the main perpetrators of the London incident.

The NIA has now identified around a dozen suspects involved in the flag-desecration incident, according to senior officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

While the details of the Doval-Barrow meeting remain undisclosed, the Indian NSA is expected to raise concerns about Indian diplomats, including High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami and a Consul General, being targeted by pro-Khalistan extremists through posters announcing a protest rally at the Indian High Commission in London on 8 July.

The rally is sparked by the killing of Khalistan Tiger Force separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, allegedly in a gang-related shooting in Canada on 19 June.

During the meeting, Doval is likely to seek assurances from Barrow regarding the protection of Indian diplomats in UK and guarantee that Indian diplomatic premises will not be violated by extremists.