India ‘halts’ trade talks with UK over Sikh extremist group’s attack on high commission: Report

NEW DELHI — India is learnt to have paused trade talks with the United Kingdom over the recent attacks on the Indian high commission in London by Khalistani groups last month.

According to a report by The Times, India is learnt to have expressed its displeasure over UK’s failure to condemn the incident which had occurred on March 19.

“Indians don’t want to talk about trade until they get a very public demonstration of condemnation of Khalistan extremism in the UK,” The Times report said, quoting official sources.

The report further added that the UK is keen to restart the negotiations, and towards this, it plans to crack down on the Sikh extremists and Khalistani groups, who were responsible for the attacks.

The incident had occurred on March 19, when protesters with ‘Khalistan’ banners staged a demonstration at the Indian high commission and took down an Indian flag from the building’s first floor balcony to denounce recent police action in Punjab.

Relations between the two nations have been sour ever since the BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai were raided by Income Tax department earlier this year, in the aftermath of the British broadcaster’s documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting his role in the post Godhra violence in 2002.

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