Britain denies visas to radical Hindu activists

London, May 5 , 2015: The British government has revoked visas issued to two prominent members of right-wing Hindu organisations in the south Indian state of Kerala after the Indian community here filed complaints against their visit. Sasikala Teacher, chairperson of Kerala-based Hindu Aikya Vedi (United Hindu Front), and N. Gopalakrishnan, director of Indian Institute of Scientific Heritage, were invited to attend the first Hindu Religious Conference at Croydon in London. The British consulate in Chennai revoked the visas issued to both the leaders after a section of the Indian community complained about their campaigns on radical Hindutwa ideology, London-based Asian Lite newspaper reported. Translations of the two leaders' YouTube speeches and other social media messages were handed over to the authorities. Britain had earlier denied visa to Narendra Modi for his alleged involvement as the Gujarat chief minister in the 2002 riots but changed the stance when he became the prime minister. Britain is following a tough policy on radical preachers and activists after many of them fuelled young minds with right-wing religious ideas. The British Home Office earlier denied visa to Zakir Naik, a controversial Islamic preacher from Mumbai, on similar grounds. The Home Office said the controversial preacher’s visit would spoil the community cohesion activities in Britain.