Conservative MP Marco Longhi has faced criticism from the opposition after he wrote a public letter urging the British Pakistani community in Dudley North to vote for him in the UK elections, highlighting how he has always condemned India’s “illegal actions in Kashmir”.

Elections are to be held in Britain on July 4, where the Conservative Party led by Rishi Sunak will face a tough test.

In his letter on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, Longhi stressed how he has been at the forefront of speaking against the Indian government’s “atrocities” against the people of Kashmir and asked, “Who will speak for Kashmir in Parliament?”

India maintains its stand that Jammu and Kashmir, including Ladakh, are integral and inalienable parts of India.

“Recently we have seen (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi’s BJP being re-elected in India. This means that there will be even more difficult times for the people of Kashmir in the coming months,” the letter said.

It further said, “Narendra Modi has recently made it clear that he is going to grant full statehood to Kashmir, which would mean complete abolition of all sovereign rights of Kashmiris and their special status.”

Appealing to voters to elect him over the Labour Party candidate, Longhi vowed to raise his voice even more strongly for Kashmir in Parliament.

Attacking the Conservative leader, Labour Party’s Rajesh Aggarwal called the letter a “shameful attempt to divide communities” that was offensive to both Muslim and Hindu communities.

“There should be zero tolerance for the kind of politics that Longhi is practising,” said Aggarwal, the Labour Party parliamentary candidate for Leicester East.

He tweeted, “Rishi Sunak must put country over party and immediately withdraw his party’s support for Longhi’s campaign and apologise for attempting to alienate British Indians.”