A visit to the UK by India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given rise to widespread concern. Modi is one of the leaders of the right wing Bharatiya Janata Party and was chief minister of Gujarat in 2002 when it is estimated that over two thousand Muslims were massacred, of whom three were British citizens. There have been ongoing attacks on religious minorities, including Christians, by extremists acting in the name of their version of Hinduism, although these actions are deplored by many Hindus.
Protesters are expected to gather outside Downing Street in central London from noon on Thursday 12 November and a rally is planned at Parliament Square at 3.30pm. The Awaaz Network, which is coordinating the protest, is encouraging those attending to wear white, the usual colour of mourning in India.
In recent months, violence against minority communities in India has intensified, while those critical of the government have come under heavy pressure. Over forty UK MPs, including Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and Alex Salmond, the Scottish National Party's foreign affairs spokesperson at Westminster, have signed an Early Day Motion calling on the UK government to raise human rights concerns with Modi during his visit.
* Awaaz Network http://awaaz-uk.org/
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