Patels plan protest during Modi's UK visit
The Patel (Patidar) community in UK has sought permission from UK authorities to hold protest during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's UK visit. Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, the organisation fighting for Patel community reservation said they wanted to highlight the plight of their community. They said that they were wrongfully targeted by the BJP-led Gujarat government for raising their voice for the issue.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to visit UK on 12 November before the G20 leaders' summit in Turkey. The dates were finalised by India's foreign secretary S Jaishankar. Britain was trying to get Modi to visit UK since he won the Indian elections with a majority but had failed. UK PM Cameron said that he was looking forward to work with Indian Prime Minister.
The Indian community in UK, in a bid to outdo his reception event in US and Australia, had planned a reception event in Wembley stadium. The event would be attended by 70000-80000 people and would also have a cultural extravaganza. The organisers hoped that it would be the largest reception for a foreign head of state ever held in the U.K.
A number of human rights and muslim groups would protest against Modi's UK visit on November 12, the day he would land in UK. The protestors would walk from UK PM's office to Parliament square. A spokesperson for groups said that Modi's Make in India had exploitative impact on Indians. He said human rights issues were very serious and should be discussed.
Indian community groups in UK had launched a 'Modi Express' bus in UK. The bus would do a month-long tour around iconic landmarks to mark PM Narendra Modi's maiden visit to the country next month. Mayuri Parmar of the 'UK Welcomes Modi' organising committee said that after 'Chai pe Charcha' in India, they would do 'Bus pe Charcha' in the UK.
Priti Patel, senior-most Indian origin minister in British government, said that Modi's UK visit would deepen the existing bonds in education, business, security, culture. She said that Modi was an inspirational leader and Indian community was excited that his visit was coinciding with Diwali. She added his vision was clear with his policies like 'Make in India', 'Skill India' and focus on young people.
The Queen of England would host a quiet lunch for Modi on November 13 during his visit to the country. British PM David Cameron and Indian PM Narendra Modi were expected to discuss issues related to international terrorism, ISIS, climate change challenges etc. He would also address the British MPs at the British Parliament post his meeting with the British PM.
On the last day of his tour on November 14, Prime Minister Modi would inaugurate Dr Ambedkar House Museum in London and a statue of Basaweshwara, Kannada poet and social reformer.
Leslee Udwin, director of controversial documentary 'India's Daughter' had launched a public appeal to mobilise a protest during Modi's UK visit. In her message via email and social media, she had appealed protestors to gather outside Wembley stadium where Modi would address a massive crowd on November 13. The protest was supposed to ask the Modi government to lift the ban on the documentary.
'India's Daughter' was a hard-hitting documentary about the gang rape of a 23-year-old young woman in Delhi in December 2012. It was banned after the government claimed that Udwin had flouted the rules.
