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LONDON: Britain and other European Union countries are to put pressure on the Indian government to protect Christians in Orissa and to ensure that victims of recent violent attacks by right-wing Hindu groups are able to return to their homes.
A EU delegation will visit Orissa next month to study the situation and make recommendations. Orissa would also be on the agenda of the next India-EU human rights dialogue to be held soon.
This was stated by Lord Bach, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Ministry of Justice, while speaking during a debate on Orissa in the House of Lords. He said the British government “unequivocally” condemned the incidents and urged New Delhi to uphold the right to freedom of religion.
However, Lord Bach rejected calls for an inquiry into the activities of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in the U.K. on the ground that the organisation was not “proscribed” either in India or Britain.
“The U.K. government doos not consider the VHP to be a terrorist organisation under our law. The organisation is proscribed neither here nor in India, nor does the Indian government classify it as a terrorist organisation. Obviously, decisions on proscription must be proportionate and based on evidence that a group is involved in terrorism as defined in the Terrorism Act 2000,” he told a member who said the VHP, registered as a charity in Britain, had made a number of inflammatory statements.
Responding to members’ concern on the situation in Orissa, Lord Bach said: “The United Kingdom unequivocally condemns the recent violent attacks against Christians that have led to deaths, injuries and widespread displacements in Orissa. We have expressed our concerns to the appropriate Indian authorities in Delhi and London. The U.K. will continue to urge the Government of India to uphold the right to freedom of religion. Our High Commission in Delhi, along with European and other partners, continues to monitor the situation in Orissa.”
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