Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has been invited by the Indian units of Britain’s two largest political parties – the ruling Conservatives and the Opposition Labour – to visit the UK. Mr Modi, who effectively was a persona non grata in the UK till October last year, has been separately invited by the Labour Friends of India, headed by London MP Barry Gardiner, and Conservative Friends of India headed by MP Sailesh Vara and Ranjit Baxi.
The UK government had in October last year, in a major policy reversal, re-established contacts with Mr Modi after following a a policy of no contact with Mr Modi since 2002, when communal riots erupted in Gujarat.
The decision was taken after the appointment of Hugo Swire as the lead minister in the UK foreign office on India.
At the time, the UK foreign office had not responded to questions whether Mr Modi would be welcomed in the UK as there had been huge protests in the country against any proposed visit by the Gujarat chief minister because of his human rights record. He has not visited the UK, which has a huge Gujarati diaspora, in the last decade.
Mr Gardiner, who is in Moscow at present, described Mr Modi as a “politician who cannot be ignored” and also called him as “the potential Prime Minister of India.” He represents Brent North constituency, which is home to a sizeable population of Gujarati origin.
Tory MP Sailesh Vara has invited Mr Modi and said it would be “privilege” to host an event for the Gujarat chief minister. Mr Vara, who is of Gujarati origin, had moved to the UK from Uganda with his parents in 1960s. Britain is home to a huge Gujarati diaspora, especially those who moved to the country from East Africa and Mr Modi has a strong following amongst the Gujarati-origin Britons.