“Modi cannot hide behind trade deals"
Sikh activists staged a large-scale protest outside Chequers during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Sir Keir Starmer.
The demonstration, led by prominent Khalistan campaigners, condemned the UK-India trade deal and demanded accountability over the killing of Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The protest was spearheaded by Paramjeet Singh Pamma, a leading figure in the Khalistan Referendum campaign.
A rolling “Khalistan Convoy” converged on the country estate, drawing attention with banners, flags, and a striking “Caged Modi” effigy.
Protesters accused the Indian leader of using diplomacy to mask alleged state-sponsored violence.
Pamma, who is declared a “terrorist” by the Indian government, said:
“Modi cannot hide behind trade deals when he is orchestrating political assassinations abroad.
“The UK must prioritise justice and the right of Sikhs to freely express their political opinion, Khalistan, over short-term economic gains.”
As Modi engaged in diplomatic talks inside the historic residence, demonstrators outside turned defiant.
Khalistan flags were hoisted across the estate. Chants of “Khalistan Zindabad” echoed through the crowd, amplifying calls for an independent Sikh homeland in Punjab.
The protest was charged with symbolism.
Several participants trampled on the Indian national flag, the Tiranga, to denounce what they described as India’s “hypocrisy” on freedom and democracy.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal counsel for Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), the group behind the protest, said:
“India’s Modi will face Khalsa justice, not immunity, not backroom deals, but direct accountability.”
The protest comes amid ongoing investigations by Canadian and US intelligence agencies into India’s alleged involvement in transnational assassination plots targeting Sikh separatists in the West.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh leader and vocal supporter of the Khalistan movement, was shot dead in British Columbia in June 2023.
Canada later accused Indian agents of orchestrating the killing, a claim India has denied.
For Sikh activists, any move by the UK to finalise a free trade deal with India under Modi’s government would be a grave mistake.
Pannun added: “These so-called ‘free trade’ pacts are functioning as Free Terror Agreements, giving diplomatic cover to India’s international kill teams.”
Watch the Video of the Protest
At the trade deal meeting, Sir Keir said:
“This deal is now signed, sealed, delivered.”
“The UK has been negotiating a deal like this for many years, but it is this government that got it done, and with it, we’re sending a very powerful message that Britain is open for business, and that is already generating huge confidence.”
Narendra Modi’s presence in the UK has become increasingly controversial.
While India sees trade as a tool of soft power, critics warn that economic diplomacy cannot come at the cost of ignoring alleged extrajudicial actions.
Loading ...