UK PM visits temple to consolidate votes of British Indians

LONDON: A large front-page photo on Sunday of Prime Minister Boris Johnson with his partner Carrie Symonds in a sari in a London temple symbolised the comfort level of the Conservative Party with the Indian community and its growing support before the December 12 election.

Wooed by David Cameron since 2005 when he became party leader and later as prime minister after 2010, the 1.5 millionstrong community has increasingly gravitated towards the Conservative Party.

The party and its recent governments have usually gone along with influential sections of the community.

The front-page photo from the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in The Sunday Telegraph was published in the backdrop of the recent divide in the community over Labour’s stand on Kashmir, seen by many as being ‘anti-india’ and ‘anti-hindu’. British leaders make the rounds of temples and gurdwaras during elections to seek Indian votes, but this time Labour leaders have been absent in temples due to lack of invitation from Hindu groups upset over its position on Kashmir.

Johnson was joined in the temple on Saturday by home secretary Priti Patel, also clad in a sari, and leading Conservative figures such as MPS Bob Blackman and Shailesh Vara, and Dolar Popat, member of the House of Lords.

Johnson reiterated his support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and without naming Labour and its Kashmir position, regretted efforts to bring viewpoints about conflicts elsewhere that are seen as ‘anti-india’. Traditionally, both main parties consider Kashmir a matter for India and Pakistan to resolve, in which the UK has no role.