Pramod Thomas is a senior correspondent with Asian Media Group since 2020, bringing 19 years of journalism experience across business, politics, sports, communities, and international relations. His career spans both traditional and digital media platforms, with eight years specifically focused on digital journalism. This blend of experience positions him well to navigate the evolving media landscape and deliver content across various formats. He has worked with national and international media organisations, giving him a broad perspective on global news trends and reporting standards.
A TORY candidate has been criticised for allegedly sending letters to British Pakistani voters, implying they should support him over his Labour opponent because of her Indian surname.
Marco Longhi, seeking re-election in Dudley North against Sonia Kumar, has faced accusations of employing dog-whistle politics and aiming to "marginalise British Hindus."
In a letter addressed to "voters of the British Pakistani/Kashmiri community in Dudley," Longhi posed the question of whether the Labour candidate would advocate for Kashmir in parliament, with Kumar's name highlighted in bold, capitalised, and underlined.
Calls have been made for prime minister Rishi Sunak to withdraw his backing of Longhi and denounce the letter.
Kumar, who is Sikh, told the BBC she is “disappointed and shocked” by the “divisive” letter sent by Longhi.
She expressed her objection to insinuating that she might not advocate for all her constituents based on her religious background and heritage.
“I work in our NHS as a physiotherapist, helping all the people of Dudley no matter what their background is," she was quoted as saying.
Sonia Kumar (Photo: LDRS)
Anneliese Dodds, chair of the Labour Party, condemned the tactic, labeling it as "inappropriate, divisive, dog-whistle politics." She called on Rishi Sunak to take immediate action, asserting that failure to do so would expose his promises of professionalism and accountability as hollow, the Guardian reported.
Sunder Katwala, director of the British Future think tank, posted the letter on X and commented that historically, various parties have targeted voters based on ethnicity or faith, which he deemed unacceptable.
According to Katwala, any major political party should take disciplinary action against a candidate engaging in such tactics, describing them as inappropriate appeals to sectarian divisions.
He further criticised this specific instance for consciously employing prejudice against a rival candidate.
Lord Austin, who was the Labour MP for Dudley North from 2005 to 2019, said he had worked hard to fight racism and sectarian politics and to bring local people together.
Rajesh Agrawal, Labour's candidate for Leicester East, echoed Dodds' sentiments, describing the letter as a "shameful attempt" to divide the area Longhi claims to represent and offensive to both Muslim and Hindu communities.
Krish Raval, chair of Labour's group for Indians, also condemned the letter as "racist, dangerous, and wholly divisive." He criticised the prime minister for not addressing the divisive politics within his party.
Longhi defended his letter, said to GB News, "This is politics, isn’t it? Do you want someone who has consistently supported Kashmiris in the face of human rights abuses or someone named Sonia Kumar who no one has ever heard of?"
He also stressed community concerns over Kashmir and denied any intent to polarise by emphasising Kumar's surname without knowledge of her ethnicity or religious background.
Kumar, whose surname has Hindu origins, is a common Indian surname with the majority of holders residing in India as of 2014. It is commonly associated with the Hindu community but also used by some Sikhs.
According to reports, there is no record in Hansard of Longhi raising Kashmir in parliament since becoming MP in 2019.
Indian Border Security Force (BSF) personnel stand guard at the India-Bangladesh border in Fulbari BOP (Border outpost) on the outskirts of Siliguri, India on May 9, 2025.
INDIA has expelled hundreds of ethnic Bengali-speaking Muslims to Bangladesh without following due process, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Thursday, accusing the government of violating rules and targeting Muslims.
The government of prime minister Narendra Modi has maintained a strict stance on immigration, particularly from neighbouring Bangladesh. Top authorities have previously referred to migrants as "termites" and "infiltrators".
Critics say these policies have increased fear among India's estimated 200 million Muslims, especially Bengali speakers, a language spoken widely in eastern India and Bangladesh.
According to HRW, over 1,500 Muslim men, women and children were forcibly expelled to Bangladesh between May 7 and June 15, citing data from Bangladeshi authorities.
"India's ruling BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) is fuelling discrimination by arbitrarily expelling Bengali Muslims from the country, including Indian citizens," said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at HRW.
"The Indian government is putting thousands of vulnerable people at risk in apparent pursuit of unauthorised immigrants, but their actions reflect broader discriminatory policies against Muslims," Pearson added.
New Delhi has said those deported are undocumented migrants.
However, Pearson said claims by authorities that the expulsions were aimed at tackling illegal immigration were "unconvincing" due to "their disregard for due process rights, domestic guarantees, and international human rights standards".
‘They were holding guns’
HRW said it had sent its findings and questions to India’s home ministry but had not received a response.
The report documented the experiences of 18 people.
A 51-year-old daily wage worker told HRW that he "walked into Bangladesh like a dead body" after India's Border Security Force (BSF) took him to the border after midnight.
"I thought they (the BSF) would kill me because they were holding guns and no one from my family would know," the worker said in the report.
Bangladesh, mostly surrounded by India, has seen ties with New Delhi deteriorate since a mass uprising in 2024 overthrew Dhaka's pro-India government.
India intensified its operations against migrants after an April attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed 26 people, mainly Hindu tourists. New Delhi accused Pakistan of supporting the attack, a claim Islamabad denied.
In a nationwide security drive, authorities detained thousands, with many eventually sent across the border to Bangladesh.
"The government is undercutting India's long history of providing refuge to the persecuted as it tries to generate political support," Pearson said.
India has also been accused of deporting Rohingya Muslim refugees to Myanmar, with navy ships leaving them off the coast of the conflict-hit country.
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Prime minister Keir Starmer welcomes Indian prime minister Narendra Modi at Chequers near Aylesbury, England, Thursday, July 24, 2025.
INDIA's trade agreement with the UK marks a shift towards opening its markets while protecting key sectors, and could serve as a model for future deals, government officials and analysts said on Friday.
The deal, signed on Thursday and described by Indian prime minister Narendra Modi as "a blueprint for our shared prosperity", is India’s largest strategic partnership with an advanced economy.
It comes amid rising global trade tensions and signals a change in India's traditionally protectionist approach, as the country seeks agreements with the EU, US, and New Zealand.
Under the pact, India agreed to cut tariffs on imported British vehicles, increasing competition for the domestic auto industry, which accounts for nearly 7 per cent of the economy.
"This is a policy shift, especially as India has long used high tariffs to protect domestic manufacturers," Ajay Srivastava, founder of Global Trade Research Initiative and a former trade negotiator, told Reuters.
The shift also covers government procurement and pharmaceuticals and is expected to be reflected in future deals with Brussels and Washington, Srivastava said.
However, the move remains cautious.
Under the UK deal, auto imports will be limited by a quota to protect local manufacturers, and tariff reductions will be gradual. India will reduce auto tariffs from over 100 per cent to 10 per cent over 15 years, with annual quotas starting at 10,000 units and increasing to 19,000 in the fifth year.
Tariff cuts on whisky and other products will also be phased in over several years to allow domestic industries time to adjust.
Red lines
India has maintained its stance on sensitive areas, making no concessions on agricultural products such as apples and walnuts or dairy products including cheese and whey.
"There is no question of opening up the agriculture or dairy sector in any trade negotiation — be it with the EU, Australia, or even the US," a senior Indian official said.
The strategy is designed to use trade to boost economic growth while continuing to protect millions of Indians dependent on farming and low-margin work, the official added.
Indian farmers expect expanded access to the UK’s $37.5 billion agriculture market. Indian exporters will gain from zero tariffs on goods such as textiles, footwear, gems, furniture, auto parts, machinery, and chemicals.
"With zero tariffs, India's garment exports to the UK could double in three years," said N Thirukkumaran, general secretary of the Tiruppur Exporters Association. "This also paves the way for the EU agreement, which could bring even bigger gains," he added.
Negotiations with the US may prove more challenging. The US administration has used threats of high tariffs to secure concessions from partners.
Trade minister Piyush Goyal told Reuters on Thursday that India hopes to reach a trade deal with Washington that includes "special and preferred treatment". However, the US is pressing for more access to India’s agricultural and dairy markets.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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King Charles meets the prime minister of India, Narendra Modi, during an audience at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. Aaron Chown/Pool via REUTERS
INDIA's prime minister Narendra Modi wrapped up a landmark visit to the United Kingdom on Thursday (24), which saw the signing of the long-awaited India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) and a symbolic meeting with King Charles III focused on environment, health and shared traditions.
In the meeting at Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, Modi presented the King a sapling from his environmental campaign Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam (One Tree for Mother), an initiative that encourages planting a tree in honour of one’s mother.
“Had a very good meeting with His Majesty King Charles III,” Modi posted on social media platform X. “We discussed India-UK relations, especially trade, investment, yoga, ayurveda, and sustainability.”
The tree sapling, a Davidia involucrata ‘Sonoma’ – known as the handkerchief tree – will be planted at Sandringham during the autumn. The ornamental tree is admired for its striking white bracts that resemble doves or fluttering cloths and is known to flower early compared to other varieties.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the meeting, saying: “During their time together, His Majesty was given a tree to be planted this autumn, inspired by the environmental initiative launched by the prime minister, which encourages people to plant a tree in tribute to their mothers.”
King Charles and Modi are known to share common ground on environmental issues and holistic health, with topics such as yoga and ayurveda forming part of the discussion.
The meeting with the King followed a busy day at Chequers, the British prime minister’s country residence, where Modi and UK prime minister Keir Starmer signed the FTA, marking a new chapter in bilateral trade ties.
“At Chequers, Starmer and I saw an exhibition highlighting the strong economic linkages between India and the UK. With the signing of FTA, these linkages will rise manifold,” Modi said.
He also met business leaders and emphasised how the deal would open up new opportunities in trade and investment. “The signing of the deal marks a pivotal step in strengthening our economic partnership,” he said.
Beyond diplomacy, the prime minister joined an interaction with young cricketers from Buckinghamshire Street Cricket Hubs. He spoke about sport as a bridge between nations and presented a bat signed by India’s T20 World Cup-winning team.
“Great to see sport fostering people-to-people ties between our nations,” he noted, while also expressing appreciation for the Premier League and the popularity of UK football clubs among Indian youth.
"A landmark visit to UK concludes, elevating India-Great Britain trade and economic ties to new heights,” India's external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X.
(PTI)
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Prime minister, Keir Starmer (C), and deputy prime minister Angela Rayner (opposite the PM) meet the families of the young girls murdered in the Southport attack at 10, Downing Street on June 10, 2025 in London, England.
CONCERN is mounting in Britain that recent violent anti-immigrant protests could herald a new summer of unrest, a year after the UK was rocked by its worst riots in decades.
Eighteen people have now been arrested since protests flared last week outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in the town of Epping, northeast of London and seven people have been charged, Essex police said late Thursday (24). In one demonstration, eight police officers were injured.
The unrest was "not just a troubling one-off", said the chairwoman of the Police Federation, Tiff Lynch.
"It was a signal flare. A reminder of how little it takes for tensions to erupt and how ill-prepared we remain to deal with it," she wrote in the Daily Telegraph.
During the demonstrations, protesters shouted "save our children" and "send them home", while banners called for the expulsion of "foreign criminals".
Cabinet minister Jonathan Reynolds on Thursday urged people not to speculate or exaggerate the situation, saying "the government, all the key agencies, the police, they prepare for all situations.
"I understand the frustrations people have," he told Sky News.
The government was trying to fix the problem and the number of hotels occupied by asylum seekers has dropped from 400 to 200, he added.
The issue of thousands of irregular migrants arriving in small boats across the Channel, coupled with the UK's worsening economy, has triggered rising anger among some Britons.
Such sentiments have been amplified by inflammatory messaging on social networks, fuelled by far-right activists.
The shocking killings stoked days of riots across the country after false reports that the killer -- a UK-born teenager whose family came to the country from Rwanda after the 1994 genocide -- was a migrant.
Nearly 24,000 migrants have made the perilous journey across the Channel so far in 2025, the highest-ever tally at this point in a year.
The issue has become politically perilous, putting pressure on Labour prime minister Keir Starmer's centre-left government, as the anti-immigrant, far-right Reform UK party rises in the polls.
A man holds an England flag aopposite protesters attending a rally organised by Stand Up To Racism outside the Britannia International Hotel on July 25, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)
The Epping protests were stirred after a 38-year-old asylum seeker, who only arrived in Britain in late June, was arrested and charged with three counts of sexual assault.
Images from the protests have gone viral on social networks, mirroring what happened last July. But Epping residents have maintained that the protests are being fuelled by people from outside the community.
"These violent scenes ... are not Epping, and they are not what we stand for," the Conservative MP for Epping, Neil Hudson, told parliament.
While calm was restored to Epping, a middle-class suburban town with a population of 12,000, tensions remain palpable.
"This is the first time something like this has happened," said one local who lives close to the Bell Hotel, asking not to be named.
"The issue is not the hotel, but extremists applying a political ideology," he added.
Late on Thursday, the hotel, cordoned off behind barriers, was again the centre of a protest involving dozens of people, with police making one arrest.
With another protest expected on Sunday (27), the local council voted through a motion to demand the government no longer house asylum seekers at the hotel.
The UK is "likely to see more racist riots take place this summer", said Aurelien Mondon, politics professor and expert on far-right and reactionary discourse at Bath University.
Anti-immigrant protests have already erupted elsewhere, with demonstrations in the southeastern town of Diss in Norfolk outside a similar hotel on Monday (21).
Last month, clashes flared for several days in the town of Ballymena in Northern Ireland after two teenagers with Romanian roots were arrested for the alleged attempted rape of a young girl.
"It is well documented that many of the protests we are witnessing are not the result of grassroots, local movements," Mondon said.
"Social media plays a role and facilitates coordination amongst extreme-right groups," but it is "also crucial not to exaggerate" its power, he added.
High-profile far-right activist Tommy Robinson, who was blamed for stoking the Southport unrest, announced he would be in Epping on Sunday, before later seeming to scrap the plan.
The firebrand anti-Islam campaigner has just been freed from jail after spreading fake news about a Syrian immigrant, but faces trial on a separate issue in 2026.
"I don't think anybody in London even understands just how close we are to civil disobedience on a vast scale," said Reform leader Nigel Farage.
"Most of the people outside that hotel in Epping weren't far right or far left," he said, they "were just genuinely concerned families".
(AFP)
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Khan has welcomed the UK-India trade deal, calling it a major boost for London's economy and business opportunities.
LONDON mayor Sadiq Khan has welcomed the UK-India trade deal, calling it a boost for the capital's economy.
“I’m delighted that the Government has signed this historic trade deal with India, delivering a £310m boost for London’s economy and creating opportunities for business in the capital and across the UK,” Khan said in a statement.
He added: “On the back of the recent economic deals agreed between the Government and the US and EU, there has never been a better time to invest in the capital. London is the leading destination for businesses looking to thrive and grow and I'll continue to work with Ministers to create a fairer and more prosperous city for all Londoners.”
Prime minister Keir Starmer and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi signed the deal during talks at Chequers on Thursday.
Starmer described it as a “landmark moment” and said the agreement would strengthen the “unique bonds of history, of family and of culture” between the two countries.
The UK government estimates the deal could eventually add £4.8 billion a year to the British economy.