British Hindus have vehemently rejected a leaked Home Office report that labels them as "extremist," describing it as part of a fabricated global narrative aimed at demonising Hindus.
Trupti Patel, President of the Hindu Forum of Britain (HFB), argued that the review, which was leaked to the think tank Policy Exchange last week, forms part of a wider “anti-Hindu propaganda” effort. She likened the situation to the experiences of Kash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard in the United States, who have also faced baseless accusations.
Patel stressed that Hindus in Britain are not "extremists." The HFB has formally protested the report to the Home Office and demanded access to the full document. “We are a minority within a minority in Britain. We contribute, integrate, and excel in everything we do. As the HFB, it is our responsibility to ensure that Hindus are not unjustly branded as extremists,” she explained. She also dismissed the report’s claim that Hindutva was responsible for the 2022 Leicester riots, pointing out that there is no evidence that Hindus instigated the violence. “In fact, it was our Shivalaya Temple that was attacked,” Patel clarified.
The controversial report, commissioned by UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, has drawn widespread criticism for de-prioritising Islamism and categorising Hindu extremism as one of nine emerging threats. It also made contentious claims, such as labeling campaigning against grooming gangs and references to two-tier policing as "far-right."
Security Minister Dan Jarvis was called before the House of Commons to address the matter, where he confirmed that ministers had rejected the report, describing it as one of “many documents produced across government that are not implemented.”
The authors of the Policy Exchange report suggested that “Hindu nationalist extremism” played a role in the 2022 Leicester riots and other instances of intimidation, asserting that the UK government was right to focus on "Hindutva."
Dipen Rajyaguru, Director of Diversity and Equality at the Hindu Council UK, called the report "misinformed and biased," and at its worst, a reflection of a "racist colonial mindset." He warned that equating Hinduism with extremism is not only misleading but also harmful. He pointed to the rising hate crimes, temple vandalism, and targeted attacks on Hindus in the UK, particularly following the Leicester riots. Rajyaguru emphasised that rather than acknowledging these concerns, the report could further alienate Hindus and foster discrimination.
Anil Bhanot, Managing Trustee of The Hindu Council UK, further explained that “Historically, Hindutva was a movement formed, after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, to unite Hindus and other Dharmic traditions as one casteless Dharmic people, but significantly to not allow the colonials to continue to divide and rule us with atrocities like the Jallianwala Bagh which a divided people could not reasonably defend.
“Hindutva was defined as the essence (tva) of Hinduism, without castes, to unite all Dharmic people as one. The colonials turned this definition upside down on its head to signify Hindu supremacy or against India’s pluralism, which obviously suited their divide and rule policy.”
Rajyaguru also clarified that "Hindutva" is often misunderstood, stating that for many, it represents “cultural pride” rather than extremism.
