Taking the premise of tragic Kathua gang-rape case, several protestors gathered during Prime Minister Modi’s recent visit to London. They claimed that they were taking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi primarily because of the fact that the Prime Minister had reduced India to a Hindutva heartland as well as to protest the recent rape cases that have been in the news. However, it was not long before the protests turned ugly and nasty. It became clear that the protests were not a democratic manifestation of differences with the current dispensation, but a sinister conspiracy to malign India in the name of criticising Prime Minister Modi.
In a shameful act, these so called Indian protestors stooped to a new low by pulling down the national flag of India from one of the official flagpoles set up for all 53 Commonwealth countries, tearing it and then stamping it under their feet. A replacement flag had to be put up after a complaint was lodged with the foreign office and the Scotland Yard. The matter was taken up strongly with the British authorities by the Ministry of External Affairs. A senior official associated with the Prime Minister’s visit to the UK stated that the British apologised for the shameful act by the detractors and also conceded that India have warned about the radical elements to the British who have promised to take stern action.
As per latest reports it has become clear that several Khalistan supporters from the extremist organisation, Sikh Federation UK were involved in the farcical protest against Modi, led by a British MP of Pakistani origin, Nazir Ahmed. It has also been reported that several Kashmiri separatists were also involved in the protests that was initially meant to be an expression of outrage over crime against women in India. However, as it turns out the protests had a political anti-India agenda. In fact, the British MP, Nazir Ahmed, is known for openly supporting the terrorist nation despite being born in the UK. He has also been trying very hard to corner India and espouses the ideology of dividing India into several parts.
The controversial member of the House of Lords had been behind the mischievous black day that was observed on India’s Republic Day this year by divisive elements in London. He had then stated that the protests were for supporting Kashmiri militancy, reviving Khalistan disturbance and insurgency in the North-East. He also suggested that the Indian minorities stand up against their own country in the garb of discrimination. He directly attacked the Union of India and the R& AW like any another Pakistani harbouring great jealousy and insecurity towards India. It turns out that the protests were a handiwork of anti-India forces to make political use of the tragic Kathua rape case.
Moreover, the involvement of Pakistani elements in the protests during the visit by narendra Modi became further probable due to the fact that another British MP of Pakistani-origin, Khalid Mahmood, infamous in the UK for spreading falsehood and propaganda against India, had hinted before Prime Minister Modi’s visit that some people in the UK would try to disrupt Modi’s visit to the UK. The idea behind the protests by the anti-India elements, especially those of Pakistani origin, was to spew venom against India as well as fanning separatist emotions within India. In fact, the pro-Pakistani elements having anti-India political agenda have become quite active within the UK after a large group of Pakistani-origin MPs have been elected to the House of Commons.
A pertinent question that arises here is whether the protests were a handiwork of mere Khalistan and Pakistan-sympathisers, or whether there was involvement of some state agencies behind the shameful act. It appears that anti-India agencies like the ISI have orchestrated these protests with a malicious anti-India agenda aimed at prompting divisive elements within India. This does not sound like a far-fetched proposition especially since, as per a 2013 press release, the Ministry of Home Affairs has stated that ISI operatives have been providing financial/ moral support to Khalistani organisations for anti-India activities. It had been further stated that the NIA has been investigating into the funding of the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). The NIA had even registered a case against the Khalistan elements active in Punjab which were allegedly receiving funding from the UK based BKI with financial and material support from pro-Khalistan elements within Pakistan.
These apprehensions became clearer in December last year when Union Minister Hansraj Gangaram Ahir answered a question related to Khalistan militancy. He stated that Pakistan’s espionage agency ISI had been making efforts to revive pro-Khalistan elements for anti-national activities by providing technical and financial support. He further said that certain anti-India elements in Pakistan have been funding secessionist and terrorist activities in the state of Jammu and Kashmir as well.
The nature of the shameful protests in London against Modi suggests that there is an attempt to malign India on an international stage. Pakistan seems to be deeply insecure about India’s emergence on a global scale and its recognition as a future leader of the world economy and polity. The heinous crimes committed in Kathua have therefore been used by such anti-India elements to spew venom against India. It seems that an espionage agency that claims itself to be one of the better and modern intelligence organisations has stooped down to new lows of using malicious propaganda and orchestrating farcical protests to take on the India’s might.