I first noticed this issue being flagged when Sunny Hundal drew attention to a Tory MP urging support from Hindu voters because the Conservatives would be most likely to repeal the 2013 Caste amendment. You can read some background on the amendment here. Now apparently a Hindu charity is being investigated for an open letter in which it comes close to endorsing the Conservatives:
Mark Wallace, writing in Conservative Home, welcomed this support. But I assume that many Conservative supporters would sympathise with this irritated commenter:
So what precisely is the heinous piece of legislation proposed by the Labour LibDem parties that these Hindu/Sikh/Jain groups take such exception to? That’s right, the proposed legislation would prohibit unlawful discrimination on grounds of caste (like discrimnination has been unlawful on grounds of colour, race etc for decades)!
So, Mr Wallace, you’re happy to align the Tory party to (and accept the political support of) groups who wish to preserve their ‘right’ to discriminate against people because of an attribute – caste – over which they have no control?! That, to me, hardly reflects the values that the modern Tory party professes! Political advantage should not be bought for the price of principle.
You can hear Hindus talk about their experience of caste discrimination here.