Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

'This is terrible and disturbing': Ex-envoy to UK Ruchi Ghanashyam on Leicester violence

“I hope that the UK authorities and the government in the UK look at this in a very, very serious manner.”

'This is terrible and disturbing': Ex-envoy to UK Ruchi Ghanashyam on Leicester violence

Following the eruption of clashes in the British city of Leicester due to the defeat of Pakistan by India in the Asia Cup match on August 28, former Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ruchi Ghanashyam said that the incident is very disturbing and a development of grave concern. "This is very terrible and disturbing. Though I would tend to see it more as a India-Pakistan issue or rather people of Pakistan origin largely would be involved. There is a large number of Muslims of Indian origin in the Midlands of England. And I have during my time in the UK had some very close interactions with several of them who are very attached to India. So, I don't see them or people from India being involved in such violence", said the former High Commissioner.

"Whatever has happened is a development of grave concern. And I hope that the UK authorities and the government in the UK look at this in a very, very serious manner", she added.


Recalling such violence in the past too, the former High Commissioner said that though she doesn't recall anything like this happening in the city of Leicester, such incidents had occurred in other parts such as London when the violent protests took place outside the Indian high commission in London in 2019 when Independence Day was celebrated.

"I have personally experienced this during my stay in the UK. On one occasion, over 5,000 people of Pakistani origin had surrounded the India House where our high commission was and it was several hours of loud sloganeering offensive behaviour, the frozen water bottles being hurled at the building, stones and rods being thrown due to which one of the windows of the high commission was broken and all kinds of rowdy behaviour was witnessed on that occasion as Indian origin people who had come to celebrate India's independence day were trapped between these two groups of protesters," the former envoy said recalling her experience in the UK.

She further said, "Moreover, the police are autonomous and I think to some extent the unruly elements take advantage of this and they flirt with the boundaries of law so that they create mayhem while remaining more or less within the boundaries of law or if at all, they reach it and they try to get away from it. That is something for the government of the UK to look at."

As per an official statement by the Leicestershire police, the violence erupted on Saturday evening after a group of men staged an 'unplanned protest.'

"Parts of East Leicester experienced serious disorder yesterday evening (Saturday 17 September) into this morning (Sunday) when large crowds formed after groups of young men began an unplanned protest," the statement read.

Officers tried to "engage" with a group travelling towards Green Lane Road and "sought to keep actions lawful but, regrettably, the situation led to disorder", the police said.

The statement said two men had been arrested, one on "suspicion of conspiracy to commit violent disorder", and the other on "suspicion of possession of a bladed article".

More For You

ve-day-getty

VE Day 80 street parties, picnics and community get togethers are being encouraged to take place across the country as part of the Great British Food Festival. (Photo: Getty Images)

Public invited to attend VE Day 80 procession and flypast

THE 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day will be marked with a military procession in London on May 5.

The event will include over 1,300 members of the Armed Forces, youth groups, and uniformed services marching from Parliament Square to Buckingham Palace.

Keep ReadingShow less
Knife crimes

Knife-enabled crimes include cases where a blade or sharp instrument was used to injure or threaten, including where the weapon was not actually seen.

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Knife crime in London accounts for a third of national total: ONS

KNIFE-RELATED crime in London made up almost a third of all such offences recorded in England and Wales in 2024, with the Metropolitan Police logging 16,789 incidents, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Thursday.

This amounts to one offence every 30 minutes in the capital and represents 31 per cent of the 54,587 knife-enabled crimes reported across England and Wales last year. The total number marks a two per cent rise from 53,413 offences in 2023.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer and Modi

Starmer and Modi shake hands during a bilateral meeting in the sidelines of the G20 summit at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Brazil, on November 18, 2024.

Getty Images

Starmer calls Modi over Kashmir attack; expresses condolences

PRIME MINISER Keir Starmer spoke to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday morning following the deadly attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam region that killed 26 people on Tuesday.

According to a readout from 10 Downing Street, Starmer said he was horrified by the devastating terrorist attack and expressed deep condolences on behalf of the British people to those affected, their loved ones, and the people of India. The two leaders agreed to stay in touch.

Keep ReadingShow less
 Post Office Horizon

A Post Office van parked outside the venue for the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry at Aldwych House on January 11, 2024 in London, England. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Post Office spent £600m to keep Horizon despite plans to replace it: Report

THE POST OFFICE has spent more than £600 million of public funds to continue using the Horizon IT system, according to a news report.

Despite deciding over a decade ago to move away from the software, the original 1999 contract with Fujitsu prevented the Post Office from doing so, as it did not own the core software code, a BBC investigation shows.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pahalgam attack: Prayer meet held at Indian mission in London

The prayer meet was led by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami

Pahalgam attack: Prayer meet held at Indian mission in London

Mahesh Liloriya

A PRAYER meet was held at the Gandhi Hall in the High Commission of India in London on Thursday (24) to pay respects to the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.

Chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ rang out at the event which was led by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami.

Keep ReadingShow less