In a video from a Hindu temple in Britain, a man is seen giving a speech urging British Hindus and Sikhs to vote in favour of Britain’s Conservative party, led by current UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The National Hindu Council of Temples in the UK has previously come under fire for material on its website and sending out emails to its members that openly praised and supported Theresa May, and expressed strong distaste for Jeremy Corbyn of the Labour Party.
“The trustees [of NHCT] have assured us that the charity is politically neutral and will not seek to or indicate that it supports a particular political party or candidate,” said a spokesperson for the Charity Commission at the time.
However, the recent speech delivered on the temple premises (above) supports the Conservative Party, and disavows the Labour Party, once again mentioning Jeremy Corbyn.
The speech also asserts that the Labour Party is “anti-Modi,” and are “supporters of separatist jihadis,” apparently drawing upon Indian politics to motivate Hindu voters in Britain. This speech came the same day that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Swaminarayan Mandir, a Hindu temple in London and vowed to support Narendra Modi.
Also read
BJP is leveraging its impressive Hindu diaspora network to influence politics in UK, US and Canada
The Daily Fix: Goodbye, vikas! Modi and the BJP have decided to run an explicitly communal campaign
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!