An Indian businesswoman, a parliamentary candidate for the Conservative Party, has defended the godfather of British racists by describing him as a lover of India.
Earlier this month, 44-year-old Sandip Verma from Leicester (more popular as 'Sandy') was selected as the Conservatives' candidate for the Wolverhampton South West constituency that used to be held by racist icon Enoch Powell.
It was Powell, a former Conservative government minister, who in 1968 predicted 'rivers of blood' if laws were passed to protect non-whites from discrimination.
Days after making his speech he was embraced as a prophet by the British racists, who began chanting his name at their rallies.
In her first major interview since she was selected, Verma describes Powell's 1968 speech as 'uncomfortable, but says he also raised other issues like housing and the National Health Service that were appropriate.
Verma has been billed as the Conservatives' 'poster girl' for Britain's multicultural success story. Party strategists believe they have pulled off a master stroke by getting her to defend Powell's old constituency and also attract the Indian ethnic minority vote.
Verma's praise for Powell appears in a media interview with The Guardian.
"He greatly enjoyed his time in India. He learnt his appreciation of architecture from India. So it wasn't totally a one-sided thing. He had...OK, he had an issue about the numbers of immigrants coming to the country, and it was an issue at that time for him.
"And we have got an issue now about the numbers of asylum seekers coming now, and it's an issue we have got to address. You know."
Elaborating on her views about asylum seekers, she adds, "If they are coming as asylum seekers, they have got to be genuine, they have got to be fleeing something.
"We need to keep the clear distinction, so that those who are genuinely claiming asylum can have their claims processed quickly and get on with settling down in this country, and those who are here to be economic migrants go through the proper procedures..and if they can offer something, fine, and if they can't, well..."
