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Tamil protesters break into India House

LONDON: The Indian High Commission here on Monday asked for security at the India House to be strengthened after a group of Tamil protesters forced their way into the building and broke window panes. Police had to be called in to evict them and five persons were arrested.

The incident happened a little after 8 a.m. when the High Commission staff were arriving for work.

The protesters, who had gathered outside the building, raised slogans about the situation in Sri Lanka and forcibly entered the premises when the door was opened to let in a staff member.

A spokesperson for the High Commission said the protesters who originally numbered about 100 to 150 “swelled to over a thousand later.”

After being evicted, they threw missiles shattering some glass windows. No one in the High Commission was injured.

In a statement, the High Commission said: “The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has been briefed about the incident, along with the High Commission’s concerns about the security situation and their need for adequate security measures.”

Recently, a bust of Jawaharlal Nehru outside the India House was vandalised by some miscreants suspected to be from Tamil groups protesting against the developments in Sri Lanka.

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