India rejects UK parliamentary panel’s report on ‘transnational repression’

The evidence related to India cited in the report was provided by Sikhs for Justice, a pro-Khalistan outfit banned in India, and other UK-based Sikh groups

Updated on: Aug 1, 2025, 20:57:58 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar

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New Delhi on Friday rejected a British parliamentary panel’s report that named India among countries engaging in “transnational repression” in the UK, with the external affairs ministry saying the allegations stemmed from “dubious sources.”

The report by the British Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights, titled “Transnational repression in the UK”, was published on July 30 (UK Parliament)

“We have seen the references to India in the report and categorically reject these baseless allegations,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

“These claims stem from unverified and dubious sources, predominantly linked to proscribed entities and individuals with a clear, documented history of anti-India hostility. The deliberate reliance on discredited sources calls into question the credibility of the report itself,” he said.

The report by the British Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights, titled “Transnational repression in the UK”, was published on July 30. Citing “multiple evidence submissions”, the report listed India along with Bahrain, China, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates as countries allegedly engaging in transnational repression in the UK.

The evidence related to India cited in the report was provided by Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a pro-Khalistan organisation banned in India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and other UK-based Sikh groups. The report also cited allegations of India misusing Interpol’s system of issuing Red Notices for fugitives for political reasons.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

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