Modi’s policies remind British MPs of Hitler, Mussolini

LONDON: A leading British parliamentarian has said that policies adopted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi against Muslims and other minorities in India remind him and others of Hitler, Mussolini and other despots who destroyed lives of ordinary people.

Stephen Timms MP, John Cryer MP, Richard James MP, Lyn Brown MP and others were speaking at an event in the British parliament organised by the Indian Muslim Federation. The MPs highlighted the plight of Indian Muslims who face removal of their citizenship and worse under the draconian National Registry of Citizenship and Citizenship Amendment Act.

Speaking exclusively to this correspondent, MP for East Ham, Stephen Timms, said: “Modi’s attitude is such a break from what we understood India to stand for. What will democracy in India be like if the direction which is pursued is continued?”

He said: “India’s decades long commitment to equality, irrespective of religious faith, is being discarded. We all believe that this is the wrong direction for India to go to. We tell India, please hold on to the virtues prescribed by the Constitution of India.”

Agha Shamsuddin, President of the International Muslim Federation, also spoke at the gathering highlighting the voice of the Indian Muslim community in Britain. He said: “BJP is making a nation where some citizens count as more Indian than others. The NRC is a tool for the ethnic cleansing of Muslims, Dalits and others. The biggest democracy in the world is under threat. I urge you to save humanity from the destruction of these policies.”

The event was attended by people from extremely diverse backgrounds. Rabbi Herschel Gluck, who serves as the Chairman of the Muslim-Jewish Forum, said that BJP’s policies were similar to the policies adopted by Nazi Germany and that the world had a responsibility to speak up before minorities were sent to concentration camps.

John Cryer, who serves as the MP for Leyton, gave a passionate speech which left a deep mark on the audience. “My Kashmiri constituents don’t know what’s happened to their families. They don’t know if they are dead or alive. What we are seeing is a particular rise of virulent fascism which has parallels with Mussolini and Hitler. The fact that armed goons of the RSS are running around and targeting minorities is a bleak reminder of the 30s and 40s.” This speech was followed by a round of applause from the audience. The MP for Strangford, James Shannon, spoke about the hypocrisy of western countries when it came to India. “If we are too scared of our trade deals with India then shame on us because we should stand with those who are oppressed. I stand with my Kashmiri brothers and other people who are oppressed in India.”

An Indian Hindu present at the event held at Boothroyd House condemned Modi’s fascist policies and said that he, along with many Hindus, did not stand by racial and ethnic discrimination. The NRC will effect in the loss of citizenships for millions of Indians in Bengal while the CAA is considered to be fundamentally discriminatory against Muslims. Even during Trump’s recent visit to India, there were protests all across India which resulted in several casualties.