The Hindu : Britain urged to disallow Advani visit

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 06, 2002

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Britain urged to disallow Advani visit

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON JUNE 5. British Muslims, whose relatives died in the Gujarat violence, today gave a

memorandum to their Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, urging him not to allow the Union Home Minsiter, L.K. Advani, to visit Britain as his presence here was likely to cause tension.

The memorandum said that Mr. Advani was expected to come here shortly but in view of his "links'' with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which has been accused of complicity in the

Gujarat riots, there was a "risk'' that his visit would cause "public disorder and would, therefore, be contrary to public good.''

``We submit that to allow Mr. Advani into the country could pose a significant threat to community relations and public order,'' the memorandum said. A spokesman of the Council of Indian Muslims (UK), which submitted the ``petition,'' said a similar letter had been sent to the British Home Secretary, David Blunkett.

The move is part of the campaign by the British victims of Gujarat violence to pressure the Government to take up with New Delhi their allegations of ``complicity'' of the State machinery in the riots.

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