India complains to UK after Sikhs 'confront' diplomat in Scotland

India's High Commission in London has said it had reported a "disgraceful incident" involving a top diplomat being confronted by protesters at a Sikh gurdwara in Glasgow to police and Britain's Foreign Office.

India's diplomatic mission in London said on Saturday that Vikram Doraiswami, its High Commissioner to the UK, had been invited to the Sikh temple, or gurdwara, in Scotland's biggest city on Friday to discuss community and consular issues.

But it said he was confronted on arrival by three people described as "non-local extremist elements" who tried to "violently force open" the vehicle he was travelling in.

The diplomat left the scene without going ahead with the visit, according to the commission.

The allegation prompted junior UK Foreign Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan to say she was "concerned".

"The safety and security of foreign diplomats is of utmost importance, and our places of worship in the UK must be open to all," she said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

However, a Scottish Sikh group said on social media that "misinformation & fake news has been spread regarding a peaceful & legal protest objecting to @VDoraiswami holding an official visit at #GlasgowGurdwara".

The Sikhs in Scotland national advocacy charity added that the diplomat had "remained safely in his car at all times" and that "he chose to drive away from the Gurdwara and did not stay to answer Sikh community's legitimate concerns".

Police Scotland confirmed it had been alerted to reports of a disturbance at the gurdwara at lunchtime on Friday, according to UK media.

"There were no reports of any injuries, and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances," a spokesperson said in a reported statement.

Sikhs-India tensions

Long-standing tensions between some Sikhs and the Indian government have increased since Canada earlier this month linked the killing of a Sikh activist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, near Vancouver to Indian government agents — allegations which India has dismissed as "absurd".

The UK is home to some 500,000 Sikhs, including a sizeable community in Scotland.

They have campaigned in recent years over the case of Jagtar Singh Johal, a Sikh blogger from Scotland.

He has been held in detention in India for five years, accused of being part of a terror plot against right-wing Hindu leaders and has been charged with conspiracy to murder.

India complained to Britain earlier this year after Sikh separatists detached the Indian flag from the country's high commission in central London and called for better security.