Tories use Modi again in campaign video to woo Indian community
A slick video with a foot-tapping song in Hindi, and images of Prime Minister Theresa May wearing a sari and meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi during her November 2016 visit to India, has been released by the Conservative Party to woo the Indian community.
Less than two weeks to go before the June 8 mid-term election, the party hopes to retain and increase the support of the 1.5 million-strong Indian community with influence in some constituencies in London and towns such as Leicester and Birmingham.
A similar Hindi video was released before the May 2015 election, extolling the affinity of the then party leader, David Cameron, with the Indian community. Modi featured in several Conservative party posters at the time and in the 2016 London mayoral election.
The latest Conservative video shows May wearing a sari and participating in ‘arti’ during her visit to the Someshwara temple in Bengaluru. It also shows May at a Diwali reception at 10, Downing Street, visit to a temple in London wearing salwar kameez, and at other India-related events.
The song’s lyrics thank the Indian community for its support during the 2015 election, when large sections of the community veered towards the party from its traditional support for Labour. Under Cameron’s leadership, the party has wooed the community since 2005. The Conservative Party is favoured by the Hindu-Sikh lobby that opposes enacting anti-caste discrimination law in Britain, which is an issue that has divided the community. The May government is currently undertaking a consultation exercise on the issue until July 18.