Campaigners demand British Hindu group be 'stripped of charity status' for hosting 'hate preacher' in Parliament

The Association of British Muslims is among the list of signatories
Tapan Ghosh
YouTube
Martin Coulter30 October 2017

A line-up of politicians, charities and advocacy groups has demanded the organisation that hosted far-right Hindu nationalist Tapan Ghosh in Parliament be stripped of its charity status.

Leaders of the Association of British Muslims, the Asian Mums Network, and the Women Against Radicalisation Network have co-signed the letter to the Charity Commission.

In it, they demand the National Hindu Council of Temples (NHCTUK) be stripped of its charity status for "inciting hatred" by inviting Mr Ghosh.

Ghosh has become infamous for his nationalist anti-Muslim rhetoric on Twitter, where he has previously suggested the UN should "control the birth rate of Muslims", said all Muslims "are Jihadis" and asked "how can we blame the Myanmar Buddhists for driving [the Rohingya] out?"

The Southall Black Sisters, an organisation which works to address the needs of black and ethnic minority women in the UK, is also supporting the campaign.

Raising a point of order in the House of Commons on Thursday, Labour MP Naz Shah said it was "incredible" that Ghosh had been invited to Parliament.

He was hosted at a Diwali event held in Parliament earlier this month, jointly organised by the NCHTUK and the Tory MP Bob Blackman.

Mr Blackman has since defended his appearance, telling the BBC Asian Network: "He did not make anti-Islamic remarks at the event. I can assure you had he voiced some of these comments, I would have challenged him."

The letter reads: "We believe the NCHTUK should be stripped of its charity status for inciting religious hatred...[Mr Ghosh] runs a hardline Hindu militant group whose sole purpose is to demonise and 'protect Hindus from Muslim aggression'.

"We contend that NHCTUK [inviting Mr Ghosh] aimed at stirring up religious hatred in Britain; this is not just unlawful in itself but also sits far outside NHCTUK's charitable objectives.

"His organisation is a radical militant force, not a research group. His research is neither independently verified nor backed up by evidence. It is simply anti-Muslim propaganda dressed up as research. "

Mr Ghosh recently appeared as a guest on Rebel Media, the online video channel founded and presented by Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, founder of the right-wing English Defence League.

A Charity Commission spokeswoman said: "The Commission has opened a case into the National Council of Hindu Temples (UK) to assess concerns raised regarding a speaker at an event linked to the charity.

"The Commission has previously issued the charity with regulatory advice and guidance regarding similar issues, which the Commission will consider as a part of the assessment."

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