Official : Southall Mp Sponsered By The Indian Govt

[West London Singh]

While we've all been distracted by the riots the last few days a little gem of a news story appeared in the Indian media....and went away as quickly as it appeared.

While looking into its books a little query popped up. For some reason, at last years general election, it was discovered that the party to celebrate the re-election of Virendra Sharma was organised and paid for by the Indian government.

We are a community of Sikhs, Pakistanis and Somalians. What business does the Indian government have in interfering with democracy here ? I feel a parliamentary enquiry is called for.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/labour-mps-party-in-uk-all-expenses-paid-by-india-tourism/829136/

[cool water]

Hmmm well you can only blame the people in southall who elected him. How did he ever get elected when Southall has a big Sikh population. I think Sikhs of all denominations (religious, non-religious, jatha's,etc) really need to get together and discuss politics properly and form a national concenus. Otherwise you will get people randomly voting for daft people who are working against the interests of the community.

[cool water]

I also think some extremist elements within our community who have a low IQ tend to scare of potential voters for their candidates because of their extreme right-wing propaganda. People like to elect people like them, who are middle ground and have balanced sensible views.

[Southall Youth]

We tried our very best to tell everyone about Sharma and to Support Conservative Gurcharan Singh but our STUPID Sikhs voted the Anti Khalistan Anti Sikh Bhaman Sharma in

[ksb80]

Indian government sponsor Sharma.

Sharma sponsors Sohi.

Sharma was at a Johal wedding last year and gave a cringey speech on how Sohi and the Johals have helped him in his campaign.

[KhalistaniGunMan]

I also think some extremist elements within our community who have a low IQ tend to scare of potential voters for their candidates because of their extreme right-wing propaganda. People like to elect people like them, who are middle ground and have balanced sensible views.

calling freedom seeking khalistani amritdharis right wing is touching dangerous grround.....most of us have rather leftist views on lifee...your the one who seems like he has a low IQ

[Singh, Mahan]

Text of the story – for quick reference

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/labour-mps-party-in-uk-all-expenses-paid-by-india-tourism/829136/1

Labour MP’s party in UK, all expenses paid by India Tourism

Deepu Sabastian Edmond

Posted: Tue Aug 09 2011, 03:10 hrs

It was a party to celebrate the re-election of the MP from Ealing, Southall, and the tab was picked up by the India Tourism office in London, documents with The Indian Express show.

The amount involved was just £5,000 but this was a rare case of an office of the Indian government paying for a party for an MP of another country. Worse, the India Tourism office later said in response to a query under the RTI Act that the money was spent on an event that never took place.

The MP in question is the Labour Party’s Virendra Sharma, who is of India origin; the party was on May 23, 2010, at Monsoon Banqueting Suites in Southall. An invoice of £5,000 was made out to the Incredible India office. Jagdish Chander, director of the office, received a letter dated May 31, 2010 from “Dr C Marliapary,” “chief executive” of the “Krishna Menon Institute”, thanking him for funding the event: “Thank you for participating and supporting our event on the 23rd of May 2010. On behalf of Krishna Menon Institute I would like to thank you for contribution of £5,000 towards to costs of the hall hire and the entertainment. Could you please make the cheque payable to Monsoon.”

Of the 16 events for which information is available, the May 23 one was the only one with no representative from India Tourism present. This contradicts “Dr C Marliapary’s” letter. As it turns out, the Krishna Menon Institute never had a function at Monsoon Banqueting that day. In fact, it is not even the real name of the organisation the letter purported to represent — it is the V K Krishna Menon Institute. And the VKKM Instuitute’s Dr Cyriac Maprayil — not Marliapary — is the director, not the chief executive.

In a letter to CPM MP P K Biju on April 13, 2011, Maprayil confirmed his organisation did not conduct an event as claimed by the India Tourism office. The signature on the letter from “Dr C Marliapary” does not match that of Dr Maprayil, suggesting possible forgery.

When contacted, a Monsoon employee who identified himself as Deep Singh, general manager, recalled the India Tourism cheque: “Yes, the cheque came sometime in July. It was for the victory party of the Labour MP in May.” The amount would have covered almost all expenses for the party, he said. “We charge at £20 per person for 500 people, including entertainment and food. The MP was given a good discount.”

Sharma himself confirmed the venue and date of the party in a post on his Facebook Wall on May 24, 2010: “Good Morning Thank you to all that came to the Ealing/Southall Constituency ‘Thank You,’ Party At Monsoon last night... ‘Thank You’ also to Monsoon for making the function run smoothly during the evening.”

Sharma had gone to the UK from India in 1968, working as a bus conductor before joining the London School of Economics. Coincidentally, he was this year’s recipient of the V K Krishna Menon Institute Award.

Sharma could not be reached for comment. A member of his team requested that relevant documents and a questionnaire be mailed. The mail was sent and its receipt acknowledged over phone, but no response has been made yet.

Chander, whose three-year term as director of the London office expired on April 17, is reportedly back in India. He could not be reached either.

Raj Kumar Sunani, assistant director of the India Tourism office, said the RTI response was made based on available documents. “You have to ask the director why this office was not represented at the event — if someone goes, it is at his instruction,” he said.

Biju said he has been collecting documents and will soon raise the issue in Parliament. “I will also be raising the instance where an employee who was posted at the office was expelled because he pointed out the misappropriation,” he said.

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[Singh, Mahan]

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- - - I feel a parliamentary enquiry is called for.

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Somebody from UK should bring this to the attention of UK authorities and other members of British Parliament.