An Indian-origin climate activist has accused staff of the Indian Embassy in Italy of manhandling and physically harassing him outside the mission premises in Rome, even as the Embassy strongly denied the allegations, calling them “false and fabricated”.The row surfaced after a purported video was uploaded by activist Jaydip Lakhankiya on social media.In the footage, he is seen arguing with a man believed to be an Embassy staffer. The individual can be heard asking him to stop recording and is seen instructing others to take the activist inside the Embassy premises.Responding to the allegations, the Indian Embassy in Italy said it had taken note of the video and rejected the claims. “We have seen a video made by a certain Indian national. Claims being made by him are false and fabricated,” the mission said in a statement.The Embassy maintained that the individual had approached the premises but refused to comply with basic entry requirements.“He had come to the Embassy and we were ready to meet him, but he refused to show his identity/passport. We follow standard security protocols for visitors to the Embassy,” it said, adding that the mission remains committed to assisting Indian nationals and regularly engages with the diaspora.Lakhankiya offered a sharply different account, asserting that he was not seeking entry into the Embassy at the time of the incident. He said he is currently undertaking a long-distance walk from Malta to India to raise awareness about climate issues and had reached Rome after covering over 1,500 km.“I am not referring to every Indian Embassy or the Government of India. I am sharing my personal experience with the Indian Embassy in Rome,” he said.According to him, he had attempted to secure an appointment with the Embassy for four months but received no response. On the day of the incident, he claimed he had merely visited the location to document his journey.“I was not there to meet the Embassy because they didn’t give me an appointment… I went there just to take a photo from outside so I have proof that I was there. I was shooting a video on the street when an officer approached us in a rude manner and began questioning us,” he alleged.Lakhankiya said he began recording the interaction as he felt the situation was escalating unnecessarily. “I was not bothering them… but still they treated us like this,” he added.The incident has triggered a dispute of narratives, with the Embassy citing security protocols and the activist alleging misconduct, even as the video continues to circulate online.