– Zaina Aman
14 May 2024: Fifteen diaspora organisations voiced their dismay at a ‘Vigil for Democracy in India’ event held at Parliament Square in London on Sunday.
Expressing concern over the conduct of the ongoing elections and Prime Minister Modi’s alleged attempts to transform India into a “Hindu-supremacist fascist state,” the groups highlighted various issues.
Organisations such as South Asia Solidarity Group, Unau Welfare International, and UK Indian Muslim Council participated in the event, condemning what they described as hate speeches against Muslims by Prime Minister Modi.
Mohammed Owaise, Director of UK-Indian Muslim Council, stressed the need to educate British people, stakeholders, and agencies about the true face of Hindutva in India.
Owaise also criticized BJP politicians for targeting Indian Muslims through hate speech and derogatory stereotypes, fostering Islamophobia and marginalizing the Muslim community.
The organisers pointed out the Modi government’s alleged subversion of the Constitution, aiming for a Hindu state and replacing India’s inclusive Constitution with laws they claim are barbaric and anti-women.
Satpal Muman, Chair of CasteWatch UK, emphasized that the Modi government’s aim is to replace the secular Constitution with “barbaric, anti-women, and casteist 2nd Century laws of Manu.”
