Labour candidate shocked by ‘divisive’ Tory letter

In the letter, Mr Longhi, who previously represented Dudley North, said he had been “at the forefront of speaking against the Indian government atrocities towards the people of Kashmir” and the re-election of Indian PM Narendra Modi would mean “even tougher times for the people of Kashmir”.

He wrote: “Should you vote for me, I make a pledge to you that I will raise my voice for Kashmir in Parliament even more and will be at the forefront of standing up for Kashmiris in Parliament.”

The Himalayan region of Kashmir has been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan for over eight decades. Both countries claim the Muslim-majority territory in full, but control it in part.

The Indian army has been fighting a separatist insurgency in the region for over three decades, which has claimed thousands of lives. India blames Pakistan for fomenting violence in the region, a charge its neighbour denies.

Locals in Kashmir have long accused security forces of excesses, including beatings and torture, which Indian authorities routinely reject.

Mr Longhi told the BBC many people in the community had told him they were “very concerned about what’s happening in Kashmir”.

Asked if he had been divisive by highlighting Ms Kumar’s surname, Mr Longhi said: “I don’t know what her ethnicity or religious background is. I am not trying to stoke division.

“I will always stand up for abuses of human rights wherever they take place,” he added.