FOREIGN SECRETARY EXPECTED TO BE CHALLENGED IN PARLIAMENT ON WHEN JAGTAR SINGH JOHAL WILL BE RELEASED
London – 27 July 2024
Next Tuesday the Foreign Secretary, David Lammy will be answering oral and topical questions in the House of Commons before the House rises for the summer recess.
We are expecting MPs to ask David Lammy about his visit to India, including what he did or did not do with respect to raising the case of British national, Jagtar Singh Johal who has been tortured and held in arbitrary detention in an Indian jail since November 2017.
Many were surprised when David Lammy in India avoided using the phrase “arbitrary detention” when giving an interview to BBC reporter James Landale about Jagtar Singh Johal, although Keir Starmer and David Lammy have repeatedly used this phrase in opposition when questioning Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.
Our sources suggest David Lammy did specifically discuss Jagtar’s arbitrary detention in meetings in Delhi. Supposedly he told the External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar that the UK Government policy requires them to call for the release and return to the UK of all UK nationals held in arbitrary detention. We understand he made this demand in Jagtar’s case, but he has decided for the time being to keep the call private.
We have been told India’s response to David Lammy was very defensive arguing that Jagtar faces serious charges and the judicial process was underway. David Lammy was told the UK Government should not be seen to be interfering in India’s judicial process. This probably explains his defensive interview to the BBC. He now realises considerable diplomatic pressure on India, involving Britain’s allies will be required to get Jagtar’s release.
We also understand David Lammy discussed the need for the Indian government to fully co-operate with the Canadian authorities investigating the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil and the murder plot of Sikh activists in the US and Canada. More broadly he told his counterpart the Indian government must respect the rule of law and stop its repressive activities abroad against Sikh activists, including on UK soil.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is understood to have informed its Canadian and US partners this matter has been raised at the most senior levels, but it is unclear if David Lammy raised this directly with Narendra Modi who he also met.
Unsurprisingly, India raised concerns about Sikh activists in the UK and elsewhere campaigning for an independent Sikh State, Khalistan. We understand David Lammy was receptive and listened to concerns, but he reiterated Sikhs in Britain like others also enjoy the freedom to campaign for self-determination and the UK Government could not interfere unless any activities were deemed unlawful according to UK and not Indian laws.
Dabinderjit Singh, the Principal Adviser to the Sikh Federation (UK), said: “We expect MPs from across the political spectrum to write to David Lammy to explain the discussions he had with his counterpart on the need for Jagtar’s immediate release and return to the UK.”
“Labour’s Douglas McAllister who has replaced Martin Docherty-Hughes from the Scottish National Party as Jagtar’s MP has a greater responsibility to exert pressure on his own government in calling for Jagtar’s release and return to be with his family in Scotland.”
“It has been reported in The Times Douglas McAllister has taken up Jagtar’s case with David Lammy, but his family, the wider Sikh community and the public have a right to know the Foreign Secretary is robustly taking up Jagtar’s case.”
“Unfortunately, in David Lammy’s BBC interview with James Lansdale in Delhi he has given the impression he is back-tracking now he’s in government. Jagtar’s family, including his brother were shocked and deeply offended by David Lammy’s public reference to India’s judicial system.”
“In questions to the Foreign Secretary on Tuesday, MPs given the opportunity should challenge David Lammy to explain why he referred to India’s judicial system when Jeremy Hunt as Foreign Secretary told his wife more than 5 years ago in April 2019 that he would not get a fair trial in India.”
ENDS
Jaspal Singh National Press Secretary Sikh Federation (UK)