Lord Popat seeks meeting with UK Home Secretary on violence against Hindus

Lord Popat Harrow, a member of the House of Lords in the UK,  has in a letter to Home Secretary Suella Braverman sought immediate action to curb violence against the peace-loving Hindus.

Referring to disorder in Leicester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Smethwick, he has called for action to restore the “ability of people in the UK to practise their religion freely and without intimidation.”

Lord Popat has as a leading member of the Hindu community asked the Home Secretary to meet with the APPG for British Hindus in order to find a solution to de-escalate tensions.

“The APPG covers a variety of Hindu organisations and is best placed to engage with you to ensure Hindus are represented at all levels of discussions,” Lord Popat has stated in his letter to Home Secretary Braverman.

He has pointed out that the rise in tensions is due to a small minority of people intimidating and being violent towards others based on their religion. They do not represent the majority of Hindus and Muslims in the UK who live out their lives in peace and practice their religion without stopping anyone else from doing so, the letter adds.

Without mentioning Muslim troublemakers, he said that a violent minority could not be allowed to negate the multicultural values of the UK.

The letter also thanks the Home Secretary for the work she has already done on the issue.

On September 18, a miscreant in black clothes scaled up to pull down the saffron flag of a Hindu temple in East Leicester as a cheering crowd watched the mischievous act in the presence of the police and raised slogans of “Allah-u-Akbar.”

This was followed by a chain of violent incidents wherein properties and vehicles of the Hindu community were damaged.

Fake news was spread that a Mosque had been vandalised and an unsuccessful attempt was made by two Hindu boys to kidnap a Muslim girl.

The police arrested some people who were part of a mob that damaged Hindu properties and vehicles. Clashes had also taken place between the Hindus and Muslims on August 28 after the India-Pakistan match in Dubai which India won. The videos of the old incident were still doing the rounds.

The UK unit of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad  (VHP} condemned the attacks on the Hindu community. It urged the UK government to immediately look into the matter and take stringent action against those involved. Terming the attacks on the Hindu community as “jihadi mentality”, the VHP leaders said that the UK authorities need to protect the Indian diaspora.

The VHP pointed out that anti-Hindu forces were trying to portray the recent attacks on Hindus as if the Hindus of the area had triggered the violence, and they were responsible for the same. The role of the media too has come under a cloud in spreading misinformation.