New Delhi: India’s challenge of cross-border terrorism, activities of pro-Khalistani elements in the UK and the extradition of certain billionaire fugitives are among the key issues that could figure prominently in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s talks with his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, on Thursday.
In the first leg of his two-nation trip, Modi will travel to London on Wednesday, primarily to explore ways to further deepen bilateral ties and witness the signing of the ambitious India-UK free-trade agreement. After the trip to the United Kingdom, Modi will visit the Maldives.
At a media briefing here on Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said Modi’s visit will be an opportunity to share views on issues such as cross-border terrorism and the need to respond to such challenges in “resolute fashion”. To a question, the foreign secretary also referred to the role of The Resistance Force (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terror outfit, in carrying out the dastardly Pahalgam attack.
The US State Department has recently designated the TRF as a foreign terrorist organisation and a specially-designated global terrorist, he pointed out. “I am sure our UK colleagues are updated on this development, but this will give us the opportunity to share further views on issues such as cross-border terrorism and the need to respond in resolute fashion to such challenges,” Misri said.
Asked if the Indian side will raise the issue of extradition of economic offenders, such as Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi, the foreign secretary said it has been a matter of discussion between the two sides. “These have been a matter of discussion between both sides and we have continued to make the case for these fugitives to be rendered to India,” he said.
“Obviously, there is a legal process that such requests and such issues go through in the other country, and we continue to follow up very closely with our partners in the UK on these matters,” he added. Nirav Modi, the fugitive diamond merchant, is wanted in India to stand trial on fraud and money-laundering charges in an estimated USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) loan-scam case.
Mallya, who fled to the UK in March 2016, is wanted in India over a default of Rs 9,000 crore that was loaned to his Kingfisher Airlines (KFA) by several banks. Lalit Modi is also wanted by Indian probe agencies for his alleged involvement in money laundering and violating the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA).
The foreign secretary also indicated that India may raise the issue of activities of Khalistani extremists in the UK. “The issue of the presence of Khalistani extremists and bodies close to these people is again something that we have brought to the attention of our partners in the UK,” he said.
“We will continue to do so. This is a matter of concern not only to us, but it should be a matter of concern to our partners as well, because this impacts social cohesion and social order in these other countries as well,” Misri said.
He said Modi’s visit to the UK will give both sides the opportunity to review the entire gamut of the bilateral relationship and discuss ways to strengthen it further. The India-UK partnership was upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2021.
It will be the prime minister’s fourth visit to the UK since assuming office. He has visited the country previously in 2015 and 2018. Modi was also in the UK in 2021 for the COP26 summit in Glasgow.
