Stirring up racial hatred for votes?

A group of community leaders in the area have condemned one of the election candidates for “trying to stir up hatred” among Asian voters.

But the man at the centre of the allegations, Hardev Dhillon, who is standing in the Erith and Thamesmead constituency for the Socialist Labour Party, has called the accusations ridiculous.

The community leaders include the former mayor of Greenwich, Councillor Jagir Sekhon, former Bexley and Greenwich councillors Harbhajan Singh and Babu Master, Harbans Singh Butler, ex-chairman of Bexley Council for Racial Equality, and leading figures from the Sikh temples in the area.

In a joint statement, they said: “We are extremely concerned about the divisive role which Mr Dhillon and some of his friends are playing within the Asian community by misleading it.”

They claim Mr Dhillon has tried publicly to paint the Labour Party as racists.

They allege he also tried to hijack a recent Asian social event for political purposes.

They further accused Mr Dhillon of trying to force through a controversial resolution at the Belvedere Sikh temple.

They say he instructed temple members to boycott all Labour Party candidates.

The group says organisations from the extreme left and right are “trying to stir up hatred and create problems where there are none”.

They say they would urge the Asian community to vote for any candidate who is committed to equality, justice, fairness and a multicultural and multiracial society.

Mr Dhillon dismissed the allegations.

He said they were “total rubbish which should be treated with the contempt they deserve”.

He said: “I have been working for the local community for 35 years, trying to bring people together, not to divide them.

“As a black person, I don't know how I could be accused of stirring up racial hatred in the Asian community.

“I wasn't even at the Belvedere temple when the motion was proposed.

“As a result, I don't know who proposed it.

“I deny these accusations 100 per cent.”