British MP shares posts celebrating Indian strikes that killed civilians in Pakistan
British Conservative MP Bob Blackman has shared an X post by India's ruling party celebrating New Delhi's attacks on Pakistan that reportedly killed dozens of civilians.
Blackman, MP for the London constituency of Harrow East, also shared a video of explosions in Gaza which purported to be a video of Pakistan during India's attacks.
India said on Wednesday that it carried out "precision strikes" on "terrorist camps" across nine sites in Pakistan, as its neighbour promised to retaliate.
Pakistan said India's missile attacks killed at least 26 people, including two children, while Indian officials said at least 10 were killed due to Pakistani fire in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
They come after a deadly attack by suspected rebels on tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir on 22 April. India blames Pakistan for the attack, which Pakistan denies.
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Bob Blackman, who is chair of the 1922 Committee, which overseas the Conservative leadership elections, took to social media platform X on Tuesday and Wednesday to share multiple posts celebrating India's attack.
One post was by India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and said: "Promised. DELIVERED!"
Another post, by an account named "British Indians Voice", described the attack as "a cry from every soul scarred by terror" and a "duty to humanity" - and featured a video of explosions in Gaza.
Operation Sindoor isn’t just a military response — it’s a cry from every soul scarred by terror.
— British Indians Voice 🇮🇳🇬🇧 (@BritIndianVoice) May 6, 2025
India doesn’t seek war.
India seeks peace, justice, and a world where children sleep safely.
This is not revenge. This is a duty to humanity. 🇮🇳#OperationSindoor… pic.twitter.com/rMHbWTFZik
Middle East Eye has contacted Blackman and informed him that the video footage is from 2023 in Gaza.
MEE has also asked if he would undo his repost of the video, but has not yet received a response.
Blackman also shared another post by the British Indians Voice account which promised: "India will erase fear at its source", accompanied by a sketch of an armed soldier saluting an Indian flag.
Other British politicians have been less celebratory about the escalation.
Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday morning, the UK's trade minister, Jonathan Reynolds, refused to take sides between the two nuclear powers and said: "we are a friend, a partner to both countries. We stand ready to support both countries."
He promised UK support for de-escalation: "Both have a huge interest in regional stability, in dialogue, in de-escalation and anything we can do to support that, we are here and willing to do."
Meanwhile, independent MP Shockat Adam said on X: "I strongly urge calm and restraint in the wake of the Pahalgam attack. While the loss of innocent lives demands justice, the recent bombing of Pakistani territory, reportedly killing civilians including children, raises serious concern."
He added: "We must prioritise peace, dialogue and accountability over retaliation."
Independent peer Baroness Sayeeda Warsi said: "We need to call for deescalation without a blame game. Indian and Pakistani origin communities with families in India and Pakistan are a part of Britain and we must not allow this conflict to spill over here."
Blackman's BJP ties
Blackman has maintained ties with India's ruling BJP and prominent Hindu nationalist figures for years.
In 2017, he came under fire for hosting Tapan Ghosh, who had previously called for the UN to control the Muslim birth rate and praised the genocide of Rohingya Muslims, in the House of Commons.
In 2022, reports claimed that Blackman had received over £20,000 (around $25,200) from Hindu nationalist groups linked to the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh paramilitary organisation, "including groups which have been directly linked to anti-Muslim violence".
In response to the allegations, Blackman told MEE last June that this was "totally untrue".
Blackman has also associated with the Overseas Friends of BJP UK (OFBJP UK). In March 2019, ahead of India's national election, he spoke at a pro-Prime Minister Narendra Modi rally organised by the group.
Wearing a BJP-branded hat and scarf, he expressed strong support for the Indian leader.
Blackman would repeat the act in March last year. Then, on 17 June, the president of the OFBJP UK assisted in Blackman's campaign during the UK general election.
In 2020, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), the UK's largest Muslim umbrella organisation with more than 500 affiliated organisations, called on the Conservatives to take action against Blackman following a series of incidents linking him to Islamophobia. No action has been publicly taken.
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