Dated 2 May 2002
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (UK) has condemned many times from public forums the racist agenda and philosophy of the extremist party, the BNP. At no time any office-bearer of the VHP or its members have ever made approaches to the BNP or its leader Nick Griffin. Hasmukh Shah, VHP’s Press Secretary said, ” we also condemn as malicious propaganda spread around that the VHP has met the BNP or is in alliance with it. This rumour is slanderous and is deliberately given out by those who have a malicious agenda in maligning the VHP. It is the representative body of World Hindus. We are pro _ Hindu, and that does not make us anti _anyone else. We are here to secure the rights of British Hindus, as they are a minority within minority in places like Bradford, Blackburn, Oldham, etc, where they are receiving inequitable treatment due to lack of a powerful vote bank.”
After the riots last year in Northern cities and towns, it was mainly the Hindus who bore the brunt of arson attacks. They felt extremely vulnerable and this has still not changed as their elders, women and children continue to be the targets of abuse and intimidation even after the riots. It was at this time that Nick Griffin of BNP came to see Hasmukh Shah unannounced and uninvited to his Business premises which were completely destroyed by the Muslim rioters in Bradford. Nick Griffin tried to express sympathy but his approach was rejected outright by Hasmukh Shah. ” I clearly told Nick Griffin that British Hindus find his and BNP’s extreme agenda and philosophy as offensive and racist in the same manner as that practised by intolerant people who burnt my business premises down” stated Mr Shah. “I asked him to leave as he was unwelcome on my premises” he continued.
The British Hindus have also warned the politicians here that one of the reasons for the rise of racist BNP is the growing intolerance of extreme elements in the Muslim Community of non-Muslims in their vicinity. This is making it easy for the racists in the white community to enlist new recruits on Council estates throughout inner cities in the UK. It was high time that the political and religious leaders along with the parents in the Muslim Community took full responsibility of the actions of their youth, if the menace of the BNP is to be stopped.