LONDON – PM Narendra Modi faces huge embarrassment in UK with theAnti-India protests organised by Muslims, Pakistani, Sikhs and Kashmirisoutside Parliament Square in London tomorrow.
Alongside Sikh Federation UK and Azad Kashmir supporters, “MinoritiesAgainst Modi” group has been circulating buses on the streets of Londonwith banners such as “Free Kashmir” and “Punjab Referendum 2020 Khalistan”.
“The primary focus of Sikhs protesting tomorrow will be the Indian PM,Narendra Modi, but they will also be there to show support for the CanadianPM, Justin Trudeau, for standing up for the rights of Sikh nationalistswhen he recently visited India,” a statement from Sikh Federation UK said.
A series of demonstrations, including protest to condemn the rape andmurder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district,have been planned by various groups at Parliament Square here during PrimeMinister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK this week.
“Following the horrific rape and murder of eight-year-old in the Kathuaregion of Kashmir, there will be a congregation meeting to silently protestand publicly express pain, sorrow and shock,” the protest statement reads.
Earlier tomorrow, a “Modi Not Welcome” protest by Caste Watch UK and SouthAsia Solidarity Group is planned outside 10, Downing Street.
“On the one hand, Modi talks about bringing people together and of ‘BharatKi Baat, Sabke Saath’, but on the other hand his cohorts RSS storm trooperscontinue to brazenly defy the law unleashing violence on Dalits andreligious minorities,? a Caste Watch UK spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, there have been allegations and counter-allegations doing therounds among India-related societies of some UK universities, which hadissued a letter addressed to the Indian PM earlier this week calling for”extraordinary measures” for justice in recent rape cases reported fromdifferent states in India.
“We deplore all acts against humanity. However, we were not formallyconsulted via official correspondence about certain contents of NISAU’sletter to PM Modi,” a statement from Queen Mary Indian Society said.
The National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK, which had claimedthat 19 Indian societies were among the signatories of the letter,condemned “fake allegations” being circulated on social media.
Indian officials involved in organising the four-day prime ministerialvisit to the UK have said that protests and demonstrations are “part andparcel of any democratic society” and there are no plans to curtail them inany way. “The main thing is they should be peaceful and not provedisruptive to any of the official engagements,” an official said.