In the wake of mounting pressure, British authorities have apologized to India over an incident involving its national flag during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent bilateral visit to London.
The incident took place at Parliament Square last Wednesday when a group of protesters tore down the Indian tricolor from one of the official flagpoles set up for all 53 Commonwealth countries.
Raising slogans against the Narendra Modi-led government, nearly 500 protesters expressed their anger amid the latest incidents of rape against minors and what they saw as discrimination against minority communities in India.
The Indian External Affairs Ministry, which has sought a “legal action” against the perpetrators, said British officials have expressed their regret and have also replaced the flag at the site in question.
"While people have the right to hold peaceful protests, we are disappointed with the action taken by a small minority in Parliament Square”- the UK's Foreign Office
Meanwhile, Loveena Tandon, Foreign Correspondent for India Today, who was reportedly heckled by protesters when she questioned them about the flag incident has lodged a formal complaint with London’s Metropolitan Police.
The controversy garnered widespread attention after an online petition seeking British intervention into the matter gained over 7,000 signatures within a day of going live.
The issue was also raised in the British House of Commons by Conservative Party MP Bob Blackman who sought a police investigation into the matter.
