Leicester unrest: Mayor Soulsby blames Hindutva without any proof, angers Hindu community

New Delhi: Days after the Hindu community in the UK was at the receiving end of vandalisation and angry demonstration by hardline Islamists in Leicester, city Mayor Peter Soulsby has angered Hindus by saying that the recent unrest between Hindus and Muslims had its roots in racial and religious ideologies from the Indian subcontinent, and that too without any evidence.

“A lot of things emerged in Leicester which have roots in the Indian subcontinent.”

Leicester’s mayor @CityMayorLeic has ordered an inquiry into the recent Hindu / Muslim disorder – but he told me he believes a Hindutva ideology was partly to blame: #C4News pic.twitter.com/xtmoOEDWpz

— Darshna Soni (@darshnasoni) October 13, 2022

Ordering an inquiry  into the recent Hindu-Muslim unrest in the city, he said, “A lot of things emerged in Leicester which have roots in the Indian subcontinent.”

When asked what kind of things emerged, he said, “Ideologies are associated with the views about the particular racial and religious groups in India and people perhaps here in the UK identify with those beliefs.

To a question whether he was talking about Hindutva ideology, he said, “Yes, that is certainly which I think is part of it.”

His comments received a lot of flak on social media with many questioning if Hindus could expect an impartial probe when the mayor himself was parroting the false narrative of the very extremist leading the fake news campaign.

The mayor had earlier met Majid Freeman, a radical Islamist who is accused of spreading fake news that fanned the Leicester violence.

On 11 October, Freeman took to Twitter to inform that he had a “productive meeting” with the mayor of Leicester. He claimed that the mayor made some commitments regarding the allegedly rising “Islamophobia” and acknowledged the “Hindutva” ideology was causing the chaos.

We had a productive meeting last night with Peter Soulsby (@CityMayorLeic) where he made some commitments re the rise in #Islamophobia, acknowledged the #Hindutva ideology is causing chaos & lack of funding for youth clubs. Thanks Active Muslims Leicester (AML) for facilitating. pic.twitter.com/rH4nEyFDLG

— Majid Freeman (@Majstar7) October 11, 2022

The meeting did not go down well with the Hindus who are now questioning the independence of the probe ordered by Soulsby.

Conservative MP Bob Blackman too has raised questions on the mayor’s remarks, saying it takes away from the impartiality of the probe.

Violent street clashes between members of the Hindu and Muslim communities broke out after India beat arch-rival Pakistan in an Asia Cup match in Dubai on 28 August.

The violence made headlines in India and Pakistan as well as the UK, and dozens were arrested.

Videos posted on local media showed large groups of youths wearing masks and balaclavas fighting in the streets and chanting slogans.

With inputs from agencies

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