India’s Independence Day celebrations in the U.K.’s East Midlands were cancelled after alleged pro-Khalistan elements disrupted the event by preventing people from attending it and removing the tricolour.

A spokesperson of the Indian High Commission said all facts of the incident at the Ramgarhia Community Centre in Coventry were being ascertained and added that the High Commission would take up the issue with British authorities.

Organised by the Indian Workers Association (IWA), the function on Saturday last was to be attended by the Lord Mayor of Coventry. India’s Consul-General V.S. Ramalingam was scheduled to deliver the Independence Day message from President Pranab Mukherjee.

The IWA was formed in 1938 in Coventry, a town that has a considerable minority of Indian origin.

Dyal Bagri, IWA president, told PTI: “The venue was occupied by some very threatening people, some of them with faces masked. First they said they won’t allow any alcohol and meat to be served. When we said there were no such plans, they said they won’t allow the Congress party to hold Independence Day celebrations“.

Bagri added: “When we said we are not the Congress, they said they were Khalistanis and had nothing to do with India. They tried to provoke us, but we told people to be very tolerant and not involve themselves in any provocation.”

The IWA said: “These self-appointed, unrepresentative individuals, 50 plus in number, then added to their demands by pulling down the banner of the IWA and physically manhandling the 10 or so organisers including 3 women and 3 senior citizens present and elected municipal representatives from both the Labour and Conservative parties.”