INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the UK took a violent turn and an Indian flag was torn down from one of the official
flagpoles set up for the 53-nation Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting on Wednesday
PM Modi, who is in the UK for bilateral talks and the Commonwealth meet, was greeted by protesters as he met his British counterpart Theresa
May.A senior journalist from an Indian news channel covering the protests was caught in the violent scrum sparked by aggressive
pro-Khalistani protesters and Scotland Yard officers on duty had to step in to the rescue."We have expressed our concerns with the British
authorities and they have apologised for the incident
We have been warning against some of these elements out to make trouble and they have assured us of action
The Indian flag has now been replaced," a senior Indian official associated with the PM's visit told news agency PTI.The pro-Khalistani
demonstrators from Sikh Federation UK and demonstrators from the so-called "Minorities Against Modi" group, led by Pakistani-origin peer
Lord Ahmed, were among nearly 500 protesters who descended upon London's Parliament Square
These included groups led by some Kashmiri separatist groups and at one point, some of them had surrounded the Mahatma Gandhi statue at the
prime ministerial visit to the UK had said that protests and demonstrations are "part and parcel of any democratic society" as long as they
There are now concerns that some of the more aggressive elements hijacked the tone of the protests.Earlier on Wednesday, flash mob of
sari-clad women with dhols set the tone for the pro-PM Modi crowds opposite 10 Downing Street as he arrived for his breakfast meeting with
British Prime Minister Theresa May
They were joined by the Friends of India Society International (FISI) group, which spearheaded a crowd of Indian diaspora from across the UK
waving banners such as Chak De India and Jai Hind outside Downing Street and nearby Parliament Square."We want to welcome the Indian PM to
the UK and show him the diaspora support he enjoys," said one of the members of the gathering.On the other side, the anti-Modi protesters
from Caste Watch UK and South Asia Solidarity group waved banners against the Prime Minister."Hindu nationalism must be curtailed to avert
India sliding towards wholesale dictatorship threatening democratic fabric, rule of law and the unity of India," a Caste Watch UK
spokesperson said.They were joined by other protesters carrying images the 8-year-old rape victim from Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir, and
Gauri Lankesh, the Indian journalist who was shot at her doorstep last year.The group also included representatives of several Indian
women's groups in the UK, wearing white as part of their silent protest."I am Hindustan, I am ashamed," read their placards alongside
banners such as 'Beti Bachao' and 'Politics minus rape'.
