Indian official dismisses report on UK trade deal on brink of collapse over Suella Braverman comments

An ambitious trade agreement between India and the UK, described as the 'greatest of them all' after Brexit, is on 'the brink of collapse' due to UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman's comment on Indian migrants, according to a report on Wednesday.

The The Times report claimed that Ms Braverman's comments about Indian migrants staying in the UK too long had sparked backlash Indian ministers were seen as "disrespectful" to New Delhi.

Indian government officials were reportedly "shocked and disappointed" by Ms Braverman's remarks which raised "concerns" and "reservations" about the deal, according to the report.

In a message to the UK government, the Times source urged British Prime Minister Liz Truss to publicly 'disassociate' herself from Ms Braverman's comments if she wanted to revive the deal.

However, a government source at India's Ministry of Trade and Industry dismissed the report , saying no one from the government or people on the free trade agreement (FTA) team spoke to the newspaper because "the negotiations are a sensitive subject".

The source told The Independent that negotiations on the FTA are continuing and will be concluded as soon as possible. "The report from The Times is off the cuff. Everyone here is amused [by the report]," the source said.

"It there are no issues with higher immigration, but discussions are underway for three-year visas for intra- business transferees in the service sector which are referred to as mobility issues,” said the source.

Ms Braverman, who herself is the child of Indian-born migrants, told Britain's Spectator magazine last week that the current trade deal does not is not what people voted for with Brexit, raising concerns over increased work and study visas for Indians.

Liz Truss arrived in India in 2022 as UK Foreign Secretary to sign the trade deal

"I have concerns about virtue of an immigration policy with India, because I don't think that's what people voted for with Brexit," Ms Braverman said.

"I have some reservations. Look at migration in this country – the largest group of people who overstay are Indian migrants. We even made a deal with the Indian government on last year to encourage and facilitate better cooperation in this regard. It has not necessarily worked very well," Ms. Braverman added.

Her comments came as trade officials from India and of the UK are rushing to complete work on the £24billion FTA before the Hindu holiday Diwali deadline set by Ms Truss and Boris Johnson.

The FTA has been presented as a possible 'shot in the arm' for Ms Truss amid an economic crisis in the country.It was her flagship project as she led the first rounds of trade talks in 2021 as the international trade secretary of the Johnson cabinet.

October 4, after s Commenting on the FTA, Ms Braverman has been criticized in India for extolling the virtues of British rule in her colonies such as India and Kenya.

"I'm proud of the Empire British, I'm not going to apologize for our past history," Ms Braverman said in response to a question from The Telegraph's Christopher Hope.

The British Empire brought “the infrastructure, the legal system, the civil service and the military to countries like Kenya and Mauritius,” she said, referring to a controversial topic.

Economists have said the UK needs the trade deal more than India because it's a huge market for Britain...