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Violent ethnic clashes in Leicester last year 'were stoked by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist party', sources claim
- Sources claim that those in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tried to incite violence
PUBLISHED: 00:44 BST, 14 May 2023 | UPDATED: 14:28 BST, 14 May 2023
Ethnic community tensions on Britain's streets have been stoked by Indian political activists linked to Narendra Modi and his ruling Hindu nationalist party, UK security sources say.
The Mail on Sunday can reveal that elements close to Indian prime minister Mr Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are suspected of having incited British Hindus to confront Muslim youths in last summer's explosive riots in Leicester.
A UK security source said there was evidence of BJP-linked activists using closed WhatsApp groups to encourage Hindu protesters to take to the streets.
But the source warned that this was only the 'most egregious' example of Indian Hindu nationalists using private social media posts to interfere in the UK.
He warned: 'So far, it's mainly local politics - Modi and his BJP doing that they would do in Gujarat [Mr Modi's home state] to get this or that local councillor elected.
The Mail on Sunday can reveal that elements close to Indian prime minister Mr Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are suspected of having incited British Hindus to confront Muslim youths in last summer's explosive riots in Leicester
Muslims and Hindus clash in shocking scenes from the Midlands
'But it has to be stopped before it spreads to attempts to influence our national politics.'
The claims are likely to provoke a diplomatic storm between London and New Delhi at a time when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – himself a practising Hindu - is trying to seal a lucrative post-Brexit trade deal with India.
Last summer's ethnic disturbances in Leicester followed months of simmering tensions between newly-arrived Hindu immigrants and the city's settled Muslim residents, tarnishing its reputation as a beacon of racial harmony in Britain.
Violent clashes broke out between Hindu and Muslim youths after an India-Pakistan cricket match in late August, grabbing international media attention, particularly in India where it was spun as Muslims attacking Hindu residents.
This newspaper was told that India-based BJP activists then started to issue messages and memes which were widely circulated within WhatsApp groups among Hindus in Leicester.
Since the India-Pakistan cricket match on August 28, there were several nights of protests in Leicester until September 22, with marauding youths marching on the streets shouting 'Jai Shri Ram,' [Victory to Lord Ram], which has become the rallying cry of the BJP in India.
There were reports of attacks on Muslims and their homes, as well as attacks and vandalism against Hindu temples and homes.
The security source said the alleged interference appeared to be part of Mr Modi's desire to pose as the leader of Hindus across the world.
After last year's riots, several studies were done in examining the role of social media in stoking up the Leicester disturbances.
Think tank the Institute for Strategic Dialogue published a study showing, as the clashes broke out in Leicester, the Indian media depicted the trouble as Hindus coming under attacks from Muslims, with the violence blamed on 'Pakistani organised gangs.'
On Twitter, a new hashtag emerged, #HindusUnderAttackInUK, which was a variant on the well-known BJP mantra, #HindusUnderAttack.
The report also mentioned that, within days of the cricket match fallout, pro-BJP activists and influencers framed the clashes as Hindus being the sole victims.
Separately, a report conducted by the US-based Network Contagion Research Institute also showed evidence of so-called bot-farms operating out of India, which were retweeting messages on the Leicester disturbances on an industrial scale.
Charlotte Littlewood, an expert at the Henry Jackson Society think tank which investigated the riots, said that the disturbances begun as a result of tensions between newly-arrived Hindu youths from India and the more settled Muslim community.
Ms Littlewood said that, although the reasons for the clashes were local, when they hit the international media, foreign pro-BJP elements began escalating the tensions for their own ends.
But she added that British Muslim groups from outside Leicester and individuals traced back to Pakistan were also stoking the conflict, portraying the clashes as evidence of Hindu violence against Muslims in India being imported to Britain.
'But it has to be stopped before it spreads to attempt to influence our national politics.'
The claims are likely to provoke a diplomatic storm between London and India at a time when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – himself a practising Hindu – is trying to seal a lucrative post-Brexit trade deal with India.
The Indian High Commission was approached for comment.
Violent ethnic clashes in Leicester were stoked by Modi's party
Violent ethnic clashes in Leicester last year were stoked by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist party, UK security sources say.
