Prime Minister Narendra Modi today held wide-ranging talks with his British counterpart Keir Starmer, broadly focusing on boosting the India-UK ties in areas of trade, defence and security and critical technology. The two leaders also held discussions on the activity of Khalistani extremists on British soil.
Responding to a question from NDTV, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, "It is a subject that had come up in the discussions in July and it was flagged again in the discussions held today."
"The Prime Minister emphasised that radicalism and violent extremism had no space in democratic societies and, in particular, should not be allowed to use the freedoms or abuse the freedoms provided by democratic societies, and there was a need to move against them within the legal frameworks that are available to both sides," Foreign Secretary Misri added.
The government's insistence that Khalistani extremism be raised in these talks is grounded in a series of recent incidents in Britain. There was a breach of security during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's visit to London in March, when protesters disrupted an event at Chatham House.
"We have seen the footage of a breach of security during the visit of EAM to the UK. We condemn the provocative activities of this small group of separatists and extremists. We deplore the misuse of democratic freedoms by such elements. We expect the host government in such cases to fully live up to their diplomatic obligations," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement at the time.
India has repeatedly raised incidents ranging from street demonstrations outside the Indian High Commission in January to attempts to disrupt cultural events -- including an incident in Harrow in which activists tried to stop the screening of the film Emergency.
During his visit to the United Kingdom earlier this year, PM Modi had conveyed the concerns India had over the activities of Khalistani extremists in the United Kingdom, especially secessionist activities against India.
"Those who misuse democratic freedoms to undermine democracy itself must be held to account," the Prime Minister had said in his remarks during a joint statement with the UK Prime Minister during PM Modi's visit to the UK in July this year.
"The Prime Minister also expressed his deepest sympathies once again and his condolences for the Manchester attack that took place against a synagogue a few days ago in the United Kingdom," Misri added.
The meeting between PM Modi and PM Starmer, attended by a UK business delegation of more than a hundred executives, came against the backdrop of a free-trade agreement signed in July and a fast-expanding bilateral defence and tech relationship.
"Today, India-UK bilateral trade stands at USD 56 billion. I am confident that the target of doubling it would be achieved ahead of the scheduled deadline of 2030," PM Modi said.
PM Modi also said that nine UK universities will open campuses in India.
In his address, PM Starmer asked industry leaders from India and UK to list out what the governments of both countries could do to remove barriers stopping them from capitalising on opportunities.
"We want to support you to maximise the potential in relation to this trade agreement," Starmer said, adding that there has been a 6 billion pound boost in trade and investment in the three months since the CETA was signed in July.
The British leader, accompanied by a delegation of 125 of the UK's most prominent business leaders, entrepreneurs and educationists, landed in Mumbai on Wednesday morning on a two-day visit.
PM Starmer's visit to India came two-and-half months after the two countries inked a landmark free trade pact that will increase market access, cut tariffs and is expected to result in doubling the bilateral trade by 2030.
The trade deal was firmed up during PM Modi's visit to London in July.
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