January 29, 2025: A leaked UK Home Office report has identified Hindu nationalism and Khalistani extremism as emerging threats to national security. The confidential document, which was commissioned by UK Home Department Secretary Yvette Cooper in August 2024, highlights nine forms of extremism that the UK must address, according to reports by The Guardian and BBC.

For the first time, the UK government has categorized "Hindu nationalist extremism" and Hindutva as ideologies of concern. The report underscores that Hindu nationalism has been recognized as an extremist ideology, marking a shift in counter-extremism policy. The inclusion of Hindu nationalist extremism as a security threat follows the 2022 Leicester riots, where British Hindus and Muslims clashed after an India-Pakistan cricket match on August 28, 2022.

According to the leaked document, the nine emerging threats include Islamist extremism, extreme right-wing extremism, extreme misogyny, pro-Khalistan extremism, Hindu nationalist extremism, environmental extremism, left-wing anarchism, single-issue extremism, violence fascination, and conspiracy theories.

The report raises concerns over Khalistani extremism, noting that certain factions within the movement promote violence for the cause of an independent Sikh state. It further states that some Khalistani activists spread messages demonizing Muslim communities, particularly in the context of child exploitation allegations. Additionally, the report warns about conspiracy theories suggesting Britain and India are colluding against Sikh interests.

At the same time, the document acknowledges international concerns regarding India's alleged involvement in acts of violence against Sikhs in Canada and the United States. These allegations have strained diplomatic relations between India and several Western nations.

The leaked report was compiled by UK government agencies, including Prevent, the Research, Information and Communications Unit (RICU), and Homeland Security, Analysis and Insight (HSAI). However, in response to the leak, Home Office Minister Dan Jarvis stated that the document does not reflect current government policy. He also clarified that there are no immediate plans to expand the official definition of extremism.

The revelation of this report is expected to generate significant political and diplomatic discussions, particularly concerning the UK’s stance on South Asian diaspora communities and its counter-extremism strategies.