An MP has hit back after his decision to host a Hindu nationalist in parliament was condemned by his council.

Harrow Council criticised Bob Blackman, MP for Harrow East, after he invited Tapan Ghosh to speak at an event in the House of Commons called ‘Tolerating the Intolerant’.

At a meeting it resolved that the council chief executive “write to Bob Blackman MP, condemning the visit of Tapan Ghosh and reaffirming that Harrow is one of the most diverse places in the UK, where hate speech is not tolerated”.

It also called on London Mayor Sadiq Khan to condemn the visit and to “discourage hate speech in public institutions” such as the Houses of Parliament.

Mr Ghosh has previously called on the UN to control the birth rate of Muslims and has praised the genocide of Rohingya in Bangladesh.

He has also referred to all Muslims as “jihadis” and warned against an Islamic “takeover of Europe”.

Mr Blackman, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group of Hindus, explained how the event focused on the ‘forced conversions’ of girls in the UK and the sub-continent.

He said: “I host a number of events in Parliament that discuss issues pertaining to Hindus in UK and the world.

“One of the most worrying trends in recent years has been grooming and forced conversions of Hindu minorities in the UK and countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan.

“In our commitment as a nation to fight extremism and radicalisation it is important to hear the voices of suppressed minorities.”

Responding to the council’s condemnation, the MP accused it of distracting itself needlessly from more pressing matters.

He said: “If the Labour Councillors and their allies in Harrow spent half as much time actually doing the job of delivering the effective service that residents deserve as they do on politically posturing, the number of people having to come to me for help would reduce dramatically.”

He also urged the Labour Party to address its own issues relating to anti-Semitism and religious intolerance which have arisen in recent times.