On March 6, 2025, during Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's visits in the UK, a pro-Khalistan protester broke through police barriers outside Chatham House, a leading policy institute in London, and, reached close to Jaishankar's stationary vehicle, where he tore down an Indian national flag before being stopped by police.
Even though the minister was able to leave safely, there were no arrests made after the disruption attributed to this incident. However, Bob Blackman, the UK MP, condemned this sharply as an "attack by Khalistani thugs." He insisted that stricter security measures should be put in place so that visiting dignitaries will be protected and will not experience such situations henceforth. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) responded that the right to peaceful protest is to be recognized but any intimidation or disruption of any kind was intolerable.
The assurances are that the UK is committed to ensuring the safety of all diplomatic visitors as required under international obligations. Against this background, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) condemned the incident, calling it a "provocative act by extremists," and urged the British government to honor its responsibility in ensuring the safety of foreign officials.
The incident has revived diplomatic debate surrounding high-security arrangements for foreign dignitaries visiting the UK, and calls for stricter enforcement from the British government to avert more such cases in the future are growing pressingly.
