Of late, message boards and WhatsApp groups have been flooded with a pro-Indian government poster, that claimed a pro-Indian government rally was due to take place on 27th February. It is being reported that these rallies were going to target Gurudwaras across London, Birmingham and Leicester, triggering unrest among Sikhs.
Online magazine Barfi Culture has now learnt that three London MPs (Seema Malhotra, Virendra Sharma and Ruth Cadbury MPs) were so concerned about the rallies they urged the UK Home Secretary Priti Patel to intervene.
Home Secretary Priti Patel responded to this and said, “In the end the rallies did not take place. But the incident illustrates a growing concern among MPs, community groups and religious institutions that events in India are causing tensions between communities in the UK. On Monday 8th March, Parliament hosted a debate on the protests in India, following a government petition that had gathered over 100,00 signatures. Seema Malhotra MP again mentioned the proposed rallies at the debate. MP Tan Dhesi pointed out that Sikhs in India and abroad have been called separatists or smeared as 'terrorists' merely for supporting farmers.”
Withstanding the number of events of inter-community tensions outside of India in the last few weeks, supporters of the BJP government had to be intercepted by police before it got to the Gurdwara in Sydney, Australia. Canada also reported several incidences of disturbance.
A few weeks ago, the Sikh Council UK released a statement on its official site and said, “The Sikh Council UK expresses concern over rising community tensions in the UK due to events in India. We feel that India’s current domestic policy endangers the communal harmony between different communities of Indian origin in the UK, especially minorities like the Sikhs.” The Hindu Council UK also resonated with these sentiments.
Responding to the car rallies planned for Feb 27, 2021, Home Secretary Priti Patel said, "My officials are in close contact with the National Police Coordination Centre and relevant police forces regarding this issue. Whilst it has not yet been possible to identify the specific individuals behind the advertised vehicle rallies, I have recently received information from the affected forces that the supposed organiser has indicated that they have cancelled their protest plans. You will also be aware that across the Metropolitan Police Service, Leicestershire Police and West Midlands Police they have substantial policing plans in place in relation to these vehicle rallies. All three Police Forces have well-established links with their local Sikh communities and will remain in close contact with them to hear concerns and provide reassurance, for example through the Leicestershire Sikh Police Association."
