Extreme Islamophobe and purveyor of hate not welcome in Australia

Indian MP, Tejasvi Surya, an unapologetic Islamophobe has been invited to speak at the annual Australia India Youth Dialogue (AIYD) which is being held in Melbourne and Sydney between May 31 and June 4. Surya is a member of the ruling BJP party in India, known for its Hindu nationalist rhetoric and policies which often target the minority Muslim community.

Surya is known in India for his divisive public comments, and anti-Muslim sentiments. He has tweeted that "we must unapologetically agitate for a Hindu rashtra" which is code for calling for Hindu supremacism.

The ICV calls upon the AIYD to do the responsible thing and withdraw its invitation to Tejasvi Surya. The ICV also requests that sponsors and partners of this conference express their strong disapproval to the organisers and withdraw their support if necessary.

The Australian government has a role to play here as well. It is concerning that someone like Surya could be granted a visa to come to Australia in the first place, and the ICV asks for it to be revoked.