UK Columnist Stirs Twitter, Asks if Sadiq Khan Played a Role in Protests Near Indian Embassy

Twitterati erupted after British columnist Katie Hopkins highlighted how London Mayor Sadiq Khan had allowed an orderly Pakistani demonstration over Kashmir recently to lead to an act of vandalism at the Indian High Commission.

Describing India as the UK’s “greatest-ever ally”, the conservative columnist and journalist on Thursday took to Twitter to question the role of London’s Labour Party Mayor Khan, who is of Pakistani descent, in the violent protests.

In her video posted on Twitter, she says: “How can we be prepared to leave an embassy of one of our greatest allies looking in this state? Why has this not been cleaned up?”

Pointing to the filth left outside the Indian mission and vandalism there, Hopkins says: “Is the Muslim Mayor of London Sadiq Khan enabling this kind of protest?”

​The video has been retweeted over 18,500 times and garnered over 37,000 likes since Thursday.

It has evoked sharp reactions from some Indian twitterati, who were outraged at the protests and accused Mayor Khan of supporting the Pakistani protesters.       

​Hopkins, however, faced criticism from some Pakistani netizens, who slammed the Indian government for revoking Jammu and Kashmir’s seven-decade-old, constitutionally-guaranteed quasi-autonomous status.

Some users insisted that Hopkins was being unfair by blaming Khan.

​The 3 September protest was the second of its kind after a similar one was carried out by British Pakistanis outside the Indian High Commission on India’s Independence Day (15 August).

Indian External Affairs Ministry on Wednesday conveyed its strong concerns regarding the protest to the UK government, calling it “unacceptable”.

The recent acrimony between India and Pakistan has flared up again after India’s parliament eliminated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. There have also been more incidents of cross-border shelling along the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border between India and Pakistan in Kashmir.

Pakistan, which also claims Indian-administered Kashmir, came out strongly against the Indian parliament’s move and, in protest, expelled India’s envoy to Islamabad, downsizsed its diplomatic mission in New Delhi, suspended trade, and snapped communication links.