London diaspora backs Modi, calls CJP protesters ‘Confused Janata Party’
London: Members of the Indian diaspora in London have held a counter-demonstration in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sharply criticising protesters aligned with the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and accusing them of attempting to tarnish India’s image abroad.
The gathering outside the Indian High Commission saw participants waving the Tricolour and raising slogans such as “Modi, Modi”, “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and “Jai Shri Ram”. They said they had assembled to defend India’s reputation and express confidence in the democratically elected government.
A diaspora member told IANS that the CJP should be called a “Confused Janata Party” rather than the “Cockroach Janata Party”, alleging that its protesters did not have a clear purpose. The participant also questioned the presence of people from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Palestine at demonstrations related to India.
Another speaker said Indian political debates should be settled within the country by those eligible to vote. “If they don’t like the Modi government, they should vote for a government they support, based on their ideology. Third, they should not damage India’s image outside the country,” the participant said.
A third member of the community said the gathering was meant to express support for India’s democracy, which had elected Modi three times. Some participants also alleged that the protests were foreign-funded, a claim made without independent verification in the report.
The counter-protest came after the Student Federation of India (SFI) UK held a demonstration outside the High Commission under the banner “Stand in Solidarity”, demanding electoral accountability and transparency. The protest sought to amplify the demands of the CJP, including the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
While the SFI protesters raised slogans including “Azadi” and “Saare Jahaan Se Achcha”, the pro-government group responded with “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and “Modi, Modi” slogans.
Hirdesh Gupta, founder-director of Indian Diaspora in the UK, said the community had gathered to express “unwavering faith” in Modi, whom he described as working for India’s progress and prosperity.
The rival demonstrations in London followed protests in India by the Congress-led INDIA bloc and the CJP against the Election Commission over the SIR exercise. The Opposition groups have alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls and demanded Kumar’s resignation.
(Inputs from IANS)