London: Hindu “activists” linked with Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) stoked violence in Leicester in September last, a media report claimed Sunday.
The Sunday Mail citing UK Security sources in a report claimed that ethnic community tensions on Britain's streets have been stoked by “Indian political activists linked to Narendra Modi and his ruling Hindu nationalist party”.
Groups, mainly youngsters from the Hindu and Muslim migrant communities in Leicester in England’s East Midlands region, clashed with each other first time after the India Pakistan Cricket Asia Cup 2022 match in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on August 28, 2022.
The Daily Mail now claims that Hindu migrants linked with the BJP stoked the violence using WhatsApp and other social media platforms.
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, the Sunday Mail said in the report.
The violence was widely reported by the media, 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", the Daily Mail said.
Citing the security source, the Mail in its report said the alleged interference appeared to be "part of Mr Modi's desire to pose as the leader of Hindus across the world".
The Indian High Commission in UK was approached for comment but is yet to respond.
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