External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar interacts with youth during a class on foreign policy at the Cubbon Park, in Bengaluru (Image: PTI)
Jaishankar warned Khalistan-affiliated hooligans that it is not the India of the past which let incidents like this slide and there will be repercussions for such incidents
External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said India will not accept its national flag being pulled down, sending a strong message to Khalistani separatists who earlier vandalised premises of Indian diplomatic buildings in London and San Francisco.
Khalistani separatists have also vandalised temples in Australia in January and defaced statues of Mahatma Gandhi in Canada.
Jaishankar’s comments came during an interaction with intellectuals in Dharwad on Sunday at a programme organised by the BJP Mahanagar unit at Dharwad.
“The days when India would have taken this lightly are behind us and this is not the India which will accept its national flag being pulled down by somebody,” Jaishankar was quoted as saying by ANI.
“It is a message not only to those so-called Khalistanis but also to the British, saying this is my flag and I will make it even bigger if somebody tries to disrespect it,” the External Affairs Minister further added.
Jaishankar said those protesting in London, Ottawa, Melbourne, San Francisco are a very small minority. “Some interests are of neighbours, some interests are of people who try to use it for visas and for personal interest,” the foreign minister said.
He said some of them try to project this for their advantage and there are also others who don’t wish well for India. He also said that host countries must ensure security of diplomats working there. “When we establish embassies abroad when our diplomats are performing their task, we are very clear that it is the obligation of the country where these embassies are, where these diplomats are to provide security. After all, we provide security for so many foreign embassies,” Jaishankar said.
Jaishankar said if there are further incidents of this nature, India will be forced to give a stern reply. “If they do not provide security, if they do not take this seriously, if there are such incidents, then they will get reactions from India,” the foreign minister warned.
He said that the idea of India is now different from the past. “The idea that there is today a different India, an India which is very responsible and very firm,” he said.
He also lauded the Indian High Commissioner in London that he bought a bigger flag and put it where the flag was previously, before the Khalistan-affiliated hooligans pulled it down.
Read all the Latest News here
For all the latest world News Click Here
