Overseas Indian groups have labeled Britain’s opposition Labor Party as divisive and anti-India after a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was used on the party’s campaign material for a by-election in northern England.
During campaigning for Thursday’s by-elections in Batley in West Yorkshire and Spain, a picture of Modi shaking hands with Prime Minister Boris Johnson, leader of the Conservative Party at the 2019 G-7 summit, appeared on campaign material. It is accompanied by a message saying don’t risk a Tory MP who is not on your side.
Tory MP Richard Holden posted the picture on Twitter, prompting furious reactions on the Internet media. He questioned whether this meant that Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer would not be seen shaking hands with the Indian prime minister.
The Conservative Friends of India (CFIN), an organization of the Indian community, said – Dear Keir Starmer, can you explain this propaganda material and clarify whether there is any Prime Minister/politician of the Labor Party with the world’s largest democracy. Will he refuse to have a relationship? Is this your message to the over 1.5 million members of the Indian community in the UK? There is also resentment among the leaders of the Labor Party regarding this propaganda material. Labor Friends of India (LFIN) has demanded its immediate withdrawal.
