Hindu groups allying with anti-Muslim far-right, says UK report, sparks row

India Today

21-04-2025

A report in a British newspaper on alleged links between "Hindu extremists" and far-right groups has sparked a controversy with Hindu groups complaining to the UK's media watchdog. The Mail on Sunday article quoted a police intelligence report which British Hindu groups said lacked inputs and clarifications from the community. The media watchdog cleared the British newspaper, but the matter has now been escalated to its complaint's committee.The Mail on Sunday on March 30 reported that British "Hindu extremists" were joining hands with far-right groups over their "shared anti-Muslim views".Hindu groups in the UK called the report baseless and misleading and lodged a protest with the media watchdog.The key area of concern for the Hindu groups was the explanation, "Hindu extremism — which is known as Hindutva," in the Mail on Sunday report.Insight UK, an advocacy group, said, "This article is not just misleading; it is a textbook example of how biased framing, selective omission, and ideological lens can manufacture a moral panic around a peaceful religious community."It called the article a "factually flawed hit job on British Hindus"."The article repeatedly conflates Hindutva with 'extremism', reducing a rich philosophical tradition to a caricature. Hindutva, quite simply, is the outward expression of Hindu identity," Insight UK said on April 1.The Hindu Community Organisations Group (HCOG) Leicester placed a formal complaint with the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). The IPSO, however, has cleared the Mail on Sunday report, according to The Times of India.The letter by HCOG Leicester was about the Mail's claims, which discussed British Hindu extremists forming alliances with far-right groups in Europe over their common hatred of Muslims, without "credible or verifiable evidence," TOI reported.WHAT IS IN THE 'HINDU EXTREMIST' REPORT?advertisementThe intelligence report compiled by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) was accessed by The Daily Mail's Sunday edition -- The Mail on Sunday. This report, written by the National Community Tension Team, came two months after the Home Office submitted its rapid sprint on extremism in Britain.The rapid sprint mentioned Hindu nationalism and Khalistani extremism among nine emerging threats in the UK.
The inclusion of "Hindu nationalist extremism" as a threat follows the 2022 riots in Leicester when British Hindus and British Muslims of South Asian origin clashed after the India-Pakistan Asia Cup 2022 match on 28 August.The intelligence report claimed that "extremists" are "feared to be interfering in British elections by telling Hindus which parties to vote for and which to avoid".It also defined "Hindutva" as "a political movement distinct from Hinduism, which advocates the hegemony of Indian Hindus and the establishment of a monolithic Hindu rashtra or state in India," according to the report in The Mail on Sunday.advertisementThe report discussed a "realistic possibility" of an alliance of Hindutva supporters in the UK aligning themselves with British extremist right-wing organisations due to some "commonly shared beliefs, including anti-Muslim hatred".It also stated that "Hindutva" may worsen community ties between Hindus and other faiths such as Muslims and Sikhs."Tensions between Hindu and Muslim communities in the UK are still evident, and the events in Leicester show how disinformation can play a role in offline action," it added.The NPCC report further revealed that far-right activist Tommy Robinson has already met with some Hindu groups to "promote anti-Muslim campaigns." It also noted that his presence appeared to be welcomed by the Indian media and a minority of British Hindus.UK PRESS REGULATOR RESPONDS TO HCOG COMPLAINTSInsight UK said that the entire Mail on Sunday "sensationalist article" was based on a "confidential unreleased report" and didn't have "credible data" and didn't name organisations."No known UK-based Hindu advocacy body or temple has aligned with Robinson's ideology or group. The article fails to cite a single formal alliance, resolution, co-sponsored event, or leader to substantiate this supposed connection," it said.The formal complaint was lodged with IPSO by HCOG.The IPSO refuted the complaints, saying the Mail was reporting on an NPCC report.It even added the claim, "Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik was inspired by Hindutva," reported TOI.But the report by HCOG convenor Vinod Popat stated that the article had no input from British Hindus.IPSO rejected the claim, saying, "Under the Editor's Code, the articles do not need to be balanced, nor do specific interested parties need to be consulted ahead... unless a published article includes significant inaccuracies."IPSO asked Popat and HCOG to call the police if they felt the article incited religious hatred.Popat has appealed his response to IPSO's Complaints Committee. He has written that the article failed to "contextualise the credibility or status of the NPCC report and insinuates widespread community complicity, vilifying the whole community," according to the TOI report.Must Watch