Ed accused of racism over ‘secret’ visit to a Sikh temple
ED Miliband was accused of ‘offensive’ behaviour ‘touching on racism’ by a Sikh community leader yesterday after banning journalists from a place of worship.
The Labour leader visited the Gurdwara – a Sikh temple – during a campaign tour of the Midlands on Wednesday.
But his team banned national media journalists from the event – despite the fact that Gurdwaras are traditionally open to all.
Worshippers were also banned from using cameras and phones to take pictures of the Labour leader, who had donned a red head-covering to comply with Sikh customs.
During the visit, Mr Miliband would answer only a small number of questions from the Sikh press.
But even one of the Sikh journalists was allegedly asked to leave Labour’s battlebus after straying from a list of agreed questions.
Davinder Singh, an adviser to the Sikh Federation who attended the visit, said the attitude of the Labour leader’s team went against the ethos of his faith.
He said the decision to shut people out of the temple contradicted the tradition that the doors to a Gurdwara are always open to all.
And he suspected the Labour leader did not want to be widely pictured in a head-covering in case the pictures were embarrassing – something he said was ‘offensive, even touching on racism’.
He told the Daily Mail: ‘The whole thing was very carefully stage managed. They said there will be no cameras whatsoever, they were telling people not to even use their phones to take any pictures inside – that is unheard of inside a Gurdwara. Some of the party officials were downright rude.
‘My children, who are three and six, were ushered out of the way. The whole thing did not feel right.
‘It was a missed opportunity on his part and it left some people feeling offended. You don’t do that in a Gurdwara – usher people around.’
The incident will increase concern about the ‘controlling’ nature of Labour’s election campaign, in which the Press and members of the public are kept at arm’s length from the party leader – a criticism also levelled at the Tories.
Mr Singh said he suspected Mr Miliband was trying to ingratiate himself with the Sikh community but was ‘worried about the reaction of non-Sikhs’ if he was seen in the headgear at the Leamington and Warwick Gurdwara.
‘ There’s a feeling that they wanted publicity within the Sikh community,’ he added. ‘ They wanted people to know he had ticked the box of visiting a Gurdwara – but that he didn’t want the
‘Some officials were downright rude’
publicity to go any wider.’ Mr Singh, whose organisation is urging politicians to sign up to a tenpoint Sikh Manifesto, said it was disappointing that Mr Miliband had refused to pose for pictures or make a public statement about Labour’s stance on Sikh issues.
He added: ‘Labour told the media it was a private visit, but that’s nonsense. Was he going there for prayers? Of course not – it was part of the campaign.’
Labour dismissed the criticism and said journalists were barred out of respect to worshippers.
But it is thought that campaign chiefs are determined to prevent Mr Miliband creating an embarrassing photo opportunity in the run-up to the General Election.
He has endured a string of such photo opportunities in the past, including excruciating pictures of him trying to eat a bacon sandwich on the campaign trail last year. Public visit: David Cameron at the Golden Temple in Amritsar Labour campaign bosses are determined to prevent similar gaffes and are exerting tight control on access to the leader.
Sky News broadcast footage on Wednesday evening showing the doors of the Gurdwara being closed after Mr Miliband entered.
Only an official Labour Party photographer was allowed inside, and pictures were not released to the national media.
The only images of him inside came from shaky mobile phone footage smuggled out by a worshipper. It showed that once inside, Mr Miliband took off his shoes and donned a red head-covering known as a ramal. He was also presented with a traditional orange scarf, or siropa, which is given as a mark of respect to dignitaries. Broadcasters requested access to the event but were refused.
But Mr Miliband held a brief Press briefing for three journalists from the Sikh media on Labour’s battlebus. They were told they could each ask one question, which was agreed in advance.
But a witness said one was asked to leave after departing from the agreed question. He was eventually allowed to stay and ask if the party would back an independent inquiry into the 1984 massacre at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Shalbinder Singh Malle, secretary of the Leamington and Warwick Gurdwara, which co-operated with Labour over the visit, insisted worshippers were offended by the event. He added: ‘It went smoothly and we felt it was a success.
‘We were told not to take pictures and one or two people may have been disappointed but I wouldn’t say anyone was upset or offended by it. No one complained.’ The row risks provoking cynicism about Mr Miliband’s motives.
Electoral experts believe Britain’s 500,000 Sikhs could play a key role at next month’s election.
A Labour spokesman said: ‘It is ridiculous and untrue to say that Ed Miliband did not want to be pictured at the Gurdwara.
‘The visit was widely covered by the national and Sikh press and many worshippers took pictures inside with Ed Miliband.
‘To respect worshippers in the prayer hall, Ed Miliband gave press interviews, including with the Sikh Federation, outside the temple.’
But Mr Singh said the visit contrasted with a visit by David Cameron in February to the Gurdwara, adding: ‘People who were there said it was very different. He was more relaxed and people could come and go, which is strange because you’d think the Prime Minister would have much tighter security.’
Mr Cameron also visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar in 2013.