SUCCESS FOR TEMPLE SAYS TEATHER

3.09.31pm UTC (GMT +0000) Sun 14th Mar 2004

Sarah Teather MP celebrates the success of the local Temple.

Local Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather has today expressed delight at the news that the Foreign Office have overturned a decision by UK Visas and have granted a visa for a Priest at the Shree Swaminarayan Temple on Willesden Lane. The Shree Swaminarayan Temple faced being without a Priest this month, after their current Priest retires.

The Foreign Office overruled UK Visas after Sarah Teather MP personally met with the Foreign Office Minister, to discuss the case on behalf of her constituents.

The case had caused a great deal of anxiety amongst the Temple's Trustees and the local community who had planned for a new priest. Mr Halai was to travel from India to replace the current Priest who retires this month. However, UK Visas had refused to grant a visa for Mr Halai stating that they believed he was not qualified to do the job. Mr Halai has been headhunted to work at the respected Willesden Temple and had undergone 18 months of specialist training at the parent Temple in Bhuj and has worked as a Priest for more than three years.

UK Visas decision could have meant that a Temple which serves around 2,000-3,000 worshippers would have been left without a priest. The success for the Temple follows a campaign on their behalf by local Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather.

The Brent East MP was so infuriated by UK Visas initial decision to turn down the visa application that she demanded a personal meeting with Visa Minister Chris Mullins MP to sort out the fiasco. At the meeting the Brent East MP presented to the Minister a petition signed by over 1,000 worshippers at the Temple asking for their Priest to be granted a Visa so that he could undertake his work at the Shree Swaminarayan Temple.

Local Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather said:

"I'm delighted that the Foreign Office has seen sense and overturned the decision of UK Visas. This is must be a tremendous relief to the Temple's trustees and the local community. This is a great boost for worshippers at the Temple.

"I'm still frustrated that the Temple was forced to jump through bureaucratic hoops by UK Visas and that it was only by me demonstrating the strength of feeling amongst the local community personally to the Minister that the decision was overturned.

"It seems ludicrous to me that UK Visas feel they are more qualified than the Temple's trustees to decide the qualifications of their priest. The Foreign Office and UK Visas could have ended a lot of anxiety at the Temple if they had made the correct decision in the first place."