BNP denies elderly Sikh becoming member

The British National Party today denied suggestions that an elderly Sikh was set to become the party’s first non-white member.

Rajinder Singh, who supported leader Nick Griffin at his trial for racial hatred in 2005, had reportedly been set to join the far-right party.

But the BNP today insisted this was not the case, owing to an agreed membership freeze.

Martin Wingfield, communications and campaigns officer, said the party would “welcome” Mr Singh but added: “The membership is frozen at the moment so no new members can join.”

The BNP recently agreed to amend its constitution so its membership rules do not discriminate on the grounds of race or religion.

This came after the Equality and Human Rights Commission issued county court proceedings against the party on August 24, voicing concerns its membership criteria were restrictive to those within certain ethnic groups.

In an order issued at the Central London County Court last month, the BNP agreed to use “all reasonable endeavours” to revise its constitution.

“We are not accepting any members for three months, until we regulate our criteria for membership,” Mr Wingfield said.

But he insisted Mr Singh, who once wrote a regular column for the BNP’s newspaper Freedom, would be a “good political colleague”.

Writing on his own website, Mr Wingfield advocated his membership: “I say adapt and survive and give the brave and loyal Rajinder Singh the honour of becoming the first ethnic minority member of the BNP.”

“If he wanted to join, he would be very welcome,” Mr Wingfield added.

“He would be a good political colleague, he has a very good brain and would make a very good BNP member.”

But the communications and campaigns officer said he was unsure whether Mr Singh intended to join the party and said he had not spoken to the former columnist for “a number of years”.

Dr Indarjit Singh, director of the Network of Sikh Organisations, said: “In any community there are people who chase publicity rather than respect the teachings of their religion.

“Any Sikh would know that the fundamental teaching of Sikhism is equality for all human beings.

“The BNP preaches inequality therefore Sikhs should shun any association with such a party.”