Labour’s Barry Gardiner has drawn criticism for a gushing tweet praising controversial Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, who looks set to win another five-year term.
The shadow secretary of state for international trade congratulated the leader on his message of celebrating “India’s diversity” – despite Modi being a Hindu nationalist who faces accusations of discriminating against the Muslim minority under his rule.
Gardiner said in the tweet: “As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wins a second term we congratulate him for his message: ‘Our alliance represents India’s diversity and our agenda is India’s progress.’ celebrating the country’s diversity.
“I look forward to deepening our friendship and trade.”
Ethnic tensions in India have risen since Modi won his first term as PM in 2014 and Hindu “cow-vigilante” groups have killed 36 Muslims over differences in how the animals are treated by the two faiths.
Modi’s government and security forces have been accused of standing by and allowing attacks to happen or of failing to prosecute those responsible.
Many Muslims talk of leaving the country in fear of a Modi election victory.
Gardiner’s tweet drew swift condemnation for praising Modi without calling out the issues with his leadership.
Election Commission data show Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party leading in contests for 300 out of 542 seats in Parliament, with the Congress party ahead in 50 contests, the Press Association reports.
The election has been seen as a referendum on Modi, whose economic reforms have had mixed results but whose popularity as a social underdog in India’s highly stratified society has endured.
Critics have said his Hindu-first platform risks exacerbating social tensions in the country of 1.3 billion people.
In the world’s largest democratic exercise, voters cast ballots on 40 million electronic voting machines, a method India began using 15 years ago after complaints that the manual count of paper ballots was tainted by fraud and abuse.
The Labour Party has been contacted for comment.