London: Fifty Indian diaspora and community organisations in the UK have written an open letter to the President of India, expressing serious concerns over what they described as “organised overseas campaigns targeting India’s democratic and constitutional institutions”.
The letter follows demonstrations held on October 16 and 17 outside the Indian High Commission in London and the Gandhi statue at Parliament Square. YouTuber Dhruv Rathee also flew to London to participate in the demonstrations, which were held in solidarity with the youth of India and called for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The letter urges the appropriate authorities in India to “examine credible evidence concerning any coordination, support, or collaboration between political and advocacy networks and extremist or separatist elements, including any alleged foreign-backed activities directed against India’s national interests”.
According to the letter, the demonstrations, organised by the Students’ Federation of India-UK, the South Asia Solidarity group and the Indian Overseas Congress’s youth wing, triggered “serious concerns among sections of the Indian diaspora regarding the activities of certain political, ideological, and advocacy networks operating on British soil”.
It also raises concerns over the presence or involvement of Pakistani and Bangladeshi Islamist organisations and pro-Khalistan separatist activists in connection with the demonstrations and what it described as the “wider anti-India mobilisation”.
The organisations have called on Indian authorities to investigate allegations of incitement, organised violence, unlawful intimidation, deliberate disinformation, or “attempts to destabilise India’s democratic processes from overseas”.
They have also urged authorities to take action wherever wrongdoing is established, adding that the UK must “ensure that British democratic freedoms are not exploited to facilitate intimidation, extremism, or activities that threaten peaceful coexistence between communities”.
