The topic of Khalistani extremism came up during Thursday’s bilateral talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. This is Starmer’s first trip to India.
After the meeting, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters that the Indian Prime Minister stressed how important it is to stop radical and violent extremism that abuses democratic freedoms.
The meeting between PM Modi and PM Starmer today talked about the “Khalistani extremist issue.” The PM said that radicalism and violent extremism have no place in democratic countries and should not be able to use or abuse the freedoms that societies give them. Misri said, “There was a need to move against them within the legal frameworks available on both sides.”
The two leaders talked in depth about how to improve commerce, technology cooperation, and strategic ties between India and the UK, in addition to extremism.
Officials say that Prime Minister Starmer called for the quick implementation of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which was concluded earlier this year. The deal’s goals are to strengthen economic relations, improve access to markets, and provide more investment opportunities in important areas like manufacturing, services, and digital technology.
After the meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X (previously Twitter) to say:
“It was a pleasure to have my friend, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, at the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai.” It must be a significant time for him since this is his first trip to India. The fact that the largest corporate group is in India makes it much more significant and shows how powerful India-UK ties can be.
A Musical Moment: Cultural Harmony Between India and the UK
The conference ended on a surprising but pleasant note when musicians played a fusion version of Ed Sheeran and Arijit Singh’s hit song “Sapphire,” which represented the cultural cooperation between the two countries.
PM Modi wrote this when he shared the clip on social media:
“This is a great example of India-UK cultural partnership! The performance of Ed Sheeran and Arijit Singh’s ‘Sapphire’ is wonderful.”
The musical break, which combined Indian and British art, was a good way to show the day’s main theme of working together and respecting each other.
#WATCH | Mumbai | On visit of UK PM Keir Starmer, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri says, "Khalistani extremist issue was discussed during meeting held today between PM Modi and PM Starmer. PM emphasised that radicalism & violent extremism had no space in democratic societies &… pic.twitter.com/H7uv3kPCiy
— ANI (@ANI) October 9, 2025