The UK’s Opposition Labour Party was branded “divisive” and “anti-India” by Indian diaspora teams after a celebration leaflet for a by-election in northern England used a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The leaflet, in circulation for the Batley and Spen by-poll in West Yorkshire scheduled for Thursday, exhibits Modi in a handshake with Conservative Party Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the G7 Summit in 2019 with the message “Don’t risk a Tory MP who is not on your side”.
It triggered livid reactions throughout social media after Tory MP Richard Holden posted a picture of it on Twitter, questioning whether or not it implies that Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer wouldn’t be seen in a handshake with the Indian Prime Minister.
“Dear Keir Starmer, please can you explain this leaflet and clarify whether a Labour PM/politician would refuse to have any relationship with the world’s largest democracy? Is this your message to 1.5 million+ members of the Indian diaspora in UK,” questioned the Conservative Friends of India (CFIN) diaspora organisation.
The outrage was echoed from throughout the Labour Party ranks, with the Labour Friends of India (LFIN) diaspora group demanding the “immediate withdrawal” of the leaflet.
“The Labour Party is right to call out Boris Johnson’s lack of action following the conclusion that anti-Muslim sentiment remains a problem within the Conservative Party. It is unfortunate that the Labour Party used a picture of the Prime Minister of India, the world’s largest democracy and one of the UK”s closest pals, from the G7 assembly in 2019, on its leaflet,” LFIN stated in its assertion.
Indian-origin veteran Labour MP Virendra Sharma additionally condemned the transfer as “cheap divide and rule” and “dog-whistle” politics unfit of Labour.
“The Labour Party will win by bringing people together and uniting the community, to do anything else will divide our community and play into Tory hands,” stated Sharma, who represents Ealing Southall in London – a constituency with a big Indian diaspora presence.
Another Indian-origin Labour MP, Navendu Mishra, took to Twitter to declare that “racism is alive and well within Labour”.
“A hierarchy of racism exists inside the party and some groups are seen as fair game for attacks based on religion/race/heritage,” stated Mishra, MP for Stockport in northern England.
“Labour will not win by playing divide and rule politics against our communities. We will win based on a principled stance against racism and discrimination of all kinds inside and outside the party,” he stated.
The Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP) group reacted by organising a letter of grievance to social gathering chief Starmer, criticising the “votebank politics” of the marketing campaign leaflet.
“OFBJP objects to this kind of anti-India branding just for votebank politics. Such posters and statements are clearly a sign of divisive politics played by Labour,” stated OFBJP President Kuldeep Shekhawat.
Angry messages dominated the unique Twitter publish on social media, with many declaring that it was Labour’s perceived “anti-India stance” that was among the many components behind its bruising defeat within the 2019 General Election below former chief Jeremy Corbyn.
The by-election in Batley and Spen, a standard Labour stronghold, is seen as an important take a look at of Starmer’s management after the Opposition social gathering fared poorly in latest byelections.
The by-poll this week follows the earlier Labour MP, Tracy Brabin, stepping down after being elected Mayor of West Yorkshire and has Kim Leadbeater within the fray for the social gathering, the sister of Jo Cox – the Labour MP murdered close to her constituency workplace in a far-right assault in June 2016.