Harrow Labour's Hindu row continues as forum founder Kanti Patel hits back (From Harrow Times)

Harrow Labour's Hindu row continues as forum founder Kanti Patel hits back

11:20am Wednesday 28th April 2010

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A HINDU who defected from the Labour Party has responded angrily to suggestions he is not a community leader.

Kanti Patel was pictured on a Labour leaflet as the representative of the Hindu Forum but following his switch of allegiance senior party figures disputed claims he was a founding member of the organisation.

Navin Shah, London Assembly member for Brent and Harrow, branded him “bitter” and suggested he was seeking revenge after not being selected to represent a safe seat.

Mr Patel said: “I'm not bitter, I'm very upset by what he said. I'm not taking revenge, we don't take revenge.

“I'm not upset because I've not been selected but because of the way they've treated the people of the community. They haven't delivered anything.”

Mr Patel has not joined the Conservative Party but says he will vote for their Hindu candidates and has been out canvassing with the party.

He pointed to a manifesto for the forum drawn up by Tony McNulty, Labour candidate for Harrow East, and said the only goals that have been met were achieved by the Tories.

These included the state-funded Krishna Avanti Primary School, in Edgware, which opened in 2008 under Harrow Council's Tory administration and a move to make school dinners Hindu friendly.

But Mr Shah defended his remarks and his party's record with the religious community, saying the Hindu school project was initiated under Labour and simply granted planning approval by the Conservatives.

He said: “I understand he's upset but to be honest he's got to blame himself. He's thrown wobblies before on a number of occasions. This time he's walked away and that's fine with me.”

The Conservative party has also responded to claims by Mr Shah that Hindu candidates were being chosen by the party out of “tokenism” rather than due to their abilities.

Brian Jones, chairman of the Harrow East Conservative Association, said: “Cllr Shah clearly finds it difficult to accept that many who may have thought of the Labour party as their natural home politically over recent decades now find that not to be the case and are turning to the Conservatives whom they recognise to be the true promoters of personal freedom.

“Who enable people to succeed if they really want to do so and generally are the custodians of traditional values.

“I can assure everyone that is why all the Conservative candidates selected to stand for Harrow Council at this election from this constituency are there because of their own aspirations for the community as a whole.”

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