UK Labour Party accused of 'divisive' politics with poll leaflet featuring PM Modi
London, Jun 29: The UK's Opposition Labour Party was branded divisive and anti-India by Indian diaspora groups after a party leaflet for a by-election in northern England used an image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The leaflet, in circulation for the Batley and Spen by-poll in West Yorkshire scheduled for Thursday, shows Modi in a handshake with Conservative Party Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the G7 Summit in 2019 with the message Don't risk a Tory MP who is not on your side .
It triggered furious reactions across social media after Tory MP Richard Holden posted an image of it on Twitter, questioning whether it implies that Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer would not 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 within 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 friends, from the G7 meeting in 2019, on its leaflet, LFIN said in its statement.
Indian-origin veteran Labour MP Virendra Sharma also condemned the move as cheap divide and rule and dog-whistle politics not worthy 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, said Sharma, who represents Ealing Southall in London a constituency with a large 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, said 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 said.
The Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP) group reacted by organising a letter of complaint to party leader Starmer, criticising the votebank politics of the 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, said OFBJP President Kuldeep Shekhawat.
Angry messages dominated the original Twitter post on social media, with many pointing out that it was Labour's perceived anti-India stance" that was among the factors behind its bruising defeat in the 2019 General Election under former leader Jeremy Corbyn.
The by-election in Batley and Spen, a traditional Labour stronghold, is seen as a crucial test of Starmer's leadership after the Opposition party fared poorly in recent byelections.
The by-poll this week follows the previous Labour MP, Tracy Brabin, stepping down after being elected Mayor of West Yorkshire and has Kim Leadbeater in the fray for the party, the sister of Jo Cox the Labour MP murdered near her constituency office in a far-right attack in June 2016.
.@AngelaRayner comes over like butter wouldn’t melt on @BBCr4today but @UKLabour are putting out this ? In #BatleyAndSpenByelection
— Richard Holden MP (@RicHolden) June 28, 2021
1) Would @Keir_Starmer not meet @narendramodi?
2) Labour are, again, playing the identity politics they have a go at @georgegalloway for! pic.twitter.com/7L1JhVlBiM
This is cheap divide and rule politics not worthy of the Labour party. @SadiqKhan won by bringing people together and uniting the community; we can do the same anywhere. To do anything else will divide our community and play into Tory hands. https://t.co/gQ7goBGgiq
— Virendra Sharma MP (@VirendraSharma) June 28, 2021
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
CM Omar Abdullah in Hubballi to cheer for JK team in Ranji Final
Hubballi (PTI): Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was in the stands at the KSCA Cricket Ground as the Jammu and Kashmir edged closer to a historic maiden Ranji Trophy title on the fifth and final day of the summit clash against Karnataka here on Saturday.
Calling it a defining moment for cricket in the Union Territory, Abdullah said he travelled to Hubballi to personally cheer the side as it moved closer to a historic triumph.
"I am in Hubballi to cheer the J&K cricket team as they seal a historic win. There hasn't been a single day in this five-day final when the team has not dominated the opposition,” he said.
Abdullah was accompanied by his Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani, MLA Zadibal Tanvir Sadiq and the Administrator of the J&K Cricket Association.
With their overall lead crossing 600, J&K are poised to secure victory on the basis of their first-innings advantage within hours.
It will mark Jammu and Kashmir’s maiden Ranji Trophy title, a landmark feat in the region’s cricketing history.
