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Labour officials need to come clean about Ed Miliband’s ‘botched’ Gurdwara visit: Sikh Federation UK

April 11, 2015 | By Parmjeet Singh

London: Labour party leader Ed Miliband’s visit to a Sikh Gurdwara in UK is has triggered controversies as Sikh sangat and certain media persons were reportedly prevented from entering the Gurdwara Sahib during Miliband’s visit.

A press release by the Sikh Federation UK reads as follows:

In the independent online article “Labour slams ‘ridiculous’ accusations that Ed Miliband’s team acted in ‘offensive’ way ‘touching on racism'” Ed Miliband’s team has gone on the offensive and denied journalists were stopped from covering events in the Gurdwara.

We have provided the Independent journalist, Matt Dathan, the names and contact details for ITV News and Sky News reporters who were both told by Labour Party officials in the morning that the event was private and they should not attend.

Labour officials have also given the impression there were no restrictions on the taking of photographs. This is simply not true as many present will vouch they were told by Labour Party and Gurdwara officials at least one hour before Ed Miliband arrived they would not allow any photographs to be taken inside the Gurdwara.

Labour officials have said: “In order to respect worshippers inside the prayer hall, Ed Miliband gave press interviews, including an interview with the Sikh Federation, outside the temple.”

What the Labour officials did not say is interviews are never conducted in the Diwan Hall (prayer room) and for this reason a room inside the Gurdwara was put aside and set up for TV interviews. Then Labour officials made a decision without explanation to switch the short interviews not to outside the Gurdwara, but the Labour battle bus that could have been parked anywhere as far as viewers of the three Sikh TV channels are concerned.

It has now emerged Labour officials were given false information regarding one of those conducting interviews by Gurinder Singh Josan, the Sikhs for Labour Vice Chair. It has been suggested Labour officials were told the interviewer linked to the Sikh Federation (UK) would not stick to the pre-agreed question and follow up question, but embarrass the Labour leader by questions critical of India’s human rights record and Sikh self determination.

As it turned out Ed Miliband seeing the minor altercation intervened, the questioner stuck to the agreed script and the same official who tried to eject the Sikh presenter said afterwards there had been a misunderstanding. Pat McFadden the Labour MP for Wolverhampton South East who was on Labour’s battle bus and witnessed what happen congratulated the presenter on the questions asked.

It is believed Labour are furious with the officials for Sikhs for Labour who completely misjudged the situation and what should of been a positive news story has backfired. The Sikh Federation (UK) has now asked Ed Miliband to provide them an interview before the 7 May responding to each of the ten specific demands set out in the Sikh Manifesto.

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Related Topics: Sikh Federation UK, Sikhs in United Kingdom

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