After US, British civil society groups urge London mayor not to allow RSS event

After US, British civil society groups urge London mayor not to allow RSS event They say Mohan Bhagwat’s visit ‘will embolden RSS affiliates in the UK to promulgate hate speech, further polarise the Indian diaspora, and create an environment of fear and intimidation for vulnerable communities’ - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Civil society organisations have urged British officials to boycott events hosted by a right-wing Hindu national group during the visit of its leader Mohan Bhagwat this week. Twenty organisations have written to mayor Sadiq Khan urging the Greater London Authority not to provide a venue for an event organised by the RSS, the ideological parent of India’s ruling BJP party. They described the RSS as “an authoritarian and militarist group which drew explicit inspiration from European fascism” and demanded the officials make sure Britain's multicultural fabric was protected. In a letter to the Foreign Office, the organisations claimed that Mr Bhagwat's visit was "part of a charm offensive of public outreach, supported by his allies in the UK". Mr Bhagwat faced protests, a denunciation by New York mayor Zohran Mamdani, and a call for sanctions from a US panel on religious freedom during his visit last month to America, where he addressed about 5,000 people at an event. Mr Bhagwat also addressed an Indian diaspora group shortly after in Canada. The letter, signed by Hindus for Human Rights, UK-Indian Muslim Council, India Labour Solidarity, and South Asia Solidarity Group, among other organisations, demanded clarifications on measures taken by the Metropolitan Police to ensure security for the communities targeted by Hindu nationalist groups. “The threats posed in Britain by the RSS are real, active and ongoing. Mr Bhagwat’s visit will embolden RSS affiliates in the UK to promulgate hate speech, further polarise the Indian diaspora, and create an environment of fear and intimidation for vulnerable communities across the country,” the letter read. He is scheduled to visit London between 2 and 7 September, but details about his engagements in the city remain under wraps. The letter cited allegations of the involvement of RSS and its affiliates in the 2002 anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat state, where Narendra Modi was the chief minister at the time, and mentioned a report by the British High Commission describing the riots as having “all the hallmarks of ethnic cleansing”. The groups noted that there was “overwhelming evidence” of the RSS and its affiliates perpetrating violence against minority communities in India. “Bhagwat himself has cautioned India’s Muslims to ‘abandon their boisterous rhetoric of supremacy’, has denied the reality of mob lynching in India,” the letter read. Communal violence broke out in Gujarat after 59 people, mostly volunteers of Hindu organisations, were killed in a train fire that the state government blamed on an alleged Muslim mob. The incident triggered sectarian violence on an unprecedented scale. While the government later claimed that just over 1,000 people were killed in the riots, unofficial estimates indicated at least 2,000 people, mostly Muslims, were massacred. Alongside the killings, there were scores of cases of rape and widespread looting and destruction of homes and properties. The riots prompted the UK to impose a travel ban on Mr Modi which was only lifted in 2012, two years before he became the prime minister. UN and human rights groups say persecution of minorities is on the rise in India. They point to growing incidents of hate speech, a religion-based citizenship law, the demolition of Muslim-owned properties, the removal of Muslim-majority Kashmir's autonomy and anti-conversion laws that challenge freedom of belief. Mr Modi’s government denies being discriminatory and claims that its policies benefit all communities. Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the UK should not host “the leader of a hate group with a grievous history of far-right violence”. “This is a deeply authoritarian, exclusionary and discriminatory organisation which has suppressed religious freedom and inspired horrific attacks on minorities,” the Your Party MP added. “There should be no space for this kind of hatred in our city, and it is truly appalling that this is going ahead”. Labour MP Nadia Whittome tabled a written question in parliament over Mr Bhagwat’s visit to the country and it was expected to be taken up for discussion on Thursday. Meanwhile, Adriene Thorne, a senior minister at the Riverside Church in New York, claimed she was tricked into attending the RSS event led by Mr Bhagwat last month. "My presence there was a mistake," she said, adding that it created a false impression that she or the church supported Mr Bhagwat, the RSS or their ideology. "I was never told Mohan Bhagwat will be the central figure at the event,” she said. “I was never told the RSS was involved.” The event's website casts the 29 August gathering as the "Universal Oneness Celebration" bringing together the Hindu American community. The organisers, American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue, claimed the event was backed by several Hindu American groups and promoted shared heritage and interfaith unity. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments