Glasgow Gurdwara 'Strongly Condemns' Incident Blocking Indian Envoy's Entry

The Glasglow gurdwara has strongly condemned the incident which prevented Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Vikram Doraiswami's entry.

Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Vikram Doraiswami

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The Glasgow Gurdwara has strongly condemned the 'disorderly behaviour' which blocked the entry of Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Vikram Doraiswami. In a statement, the Gurdwara said, "Glasgow Gurdwara strongly condemns such disorderly behaviour to disrupt the peaceful proceedings of a Sikh place of worship. The Gurdwara is open to people from all communities and backgrounds, and we welcome everyone openly as per our principles of faith."

The statement added, "Certain unknown individuals from outside the Glasgow area attempted to disrupt this visit, following which the visiting party decided to leave the premises. After the departure of the visitors, these unruly individuals continued to disturb the Gurdwara congregation. Police Scotland was in attendance thereafter and have taken cognisance of the matter.

An incident occurred on 29 September 2023 at Glasgow Gurdwara where the Indian High Commissioner was on a personal visit, facilitated by a member of Scottish Parliament. Certain unknown individuals from outside the Glasgow area attempted to disrupt this visit, following which the… pic.twitter.com/9wcAe3gyP8

— ANI (@ANI) September 30, 2023

The High Commission of India in London has provided details of the incident. According to official statements from the High Commission, the incident occurred when three individuals from areas outside Scotland deliberately disrupted a planned interaction organised by the Gurudwara Committee.

The gathering was intended to bring together the community, the High Commissioner, and the Consul General of India. Among the participants were senior community leaders, women, committee members, and a member of the Scottish Parliament, the mission said in a statement.

"They were threatened and abused by these elements. In an effort to prevent any potential altercation, the HC and CG decided to leave the premises shortly upon their arrival," the statement added.

"One of the non-local extremist elements attempted to violently force open the HC's car door - a matter that will require suitable police consideration. It is due to the quick reaction of one of the organisers, who physically intervened at the car door, that a bigger incident was avoided. Multiple community organisations including the organisers have formally regretted the incident and have urged the authorities to take action against the culprits," the High Commission stated.

The incident has been condemned by Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed, who expressed her concern. She emphasised the importance of safety and security for foreign diplomats and called for places of worship in the UK to be open to all.