The Conservative Friends of India drinks reception in LondonAfter snubbing a drinks reception with Labour Friends of India just last week, a majority of senior Indian diplomats in London went to attend a similar event with Conservative Friends of India (CFI) on the sidelines of the Tories’ party conference, reports The Times of India.
The Labour event was boycotted after the left-wing party passed a motion seen going against Indian interests in Kashmir, with its delegates backing a referendum to secede in the region.
The CFI drinks reception saw around 350 people in attendance, with views being exchanged on a number of issues, including border security, Kashmir and immigration.
Speaking about the event, CFI treasurer Amrish Patel also mentioned the growing closeness between the Conservative party and the Indian diaspora.
“It was jam-packed and that is why the food ran out. The Indian diaspora now realises the Tories are a party in line with the BJP and centre-right politics. The previous mindset among Asians was to vote Labour but that is no longer the case. The reality is that 80 Labour MPs rely on the Pakistani Kashmiri vote and only five Labour MPs reply on the Indian vote,” he said.
An Appeal...
Dear Reader,
As you are no doubt aware, Swarajya is a media product that is directly dependent on support from its readers in the form of subscriptions. We do not have the muscle and backing of a large media conglomerate nor are we playing for the large advertisement sweep-stake.
Our business model is you and your subscription. And in challenging times like these, we need your support now more than ever.
We deliver over 10 - 15 high quality articles with expert insights and views. From 7AM in the morning to 10PM late night we operate to ensure you, the reader, get to see what is just right.
Becoming a Patron or a subscriber for as little as Rs 1200/year is the best way you can support our efforts.