London: A new All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Hindus has been established in the UK to represent the interests of the community members in the country. Conservative party MP Bob Blackman has been elected as the APPG’s chair with British Indian Labour MPs Virendra Sharma as vice-chair and Seema Malhotra as secretary. "I have been working towards the creation of a strong forum for British Hindus to interact with Parliament since being elected, so I am delighted that this cross-party group has now formed and is receiving a lot of support across the board," said Blackman.

"The establishment of the new APPG for British Hindus is a significant step towards better representation of British Hindus in Parliament. I'm delighted to be involved in this important group which will raise awareness of Hindu beliefs in Parliament and work hard to increase Hindu engagement with Parliament," added Sharma. Over 23 MPs and Lords had signed up to be a qualifying member after a notice issued by the Hindu Lawyers Association (HLA). The HLA will provide secretariat support to the APPG and plans to work with temples, grassroots Hindu organisations, the business community, women and young people across the UK to ensure their views are presented to the APPG for further consideration, debate and action.