The Charity Commission has contacted two charities about their campaigning activity during the election period.
A Hindu charity and a mosque have both been contacted by the Commission this week over statements appearing to be party political and have both withdrawn the content.
The National Council of Hindu Temples has been reported to the Commission for appearing to endorse the Conservative Party. A similar complaint about the charity appearing to endorse one party was made in 2015, when the Commission also issued the charity with guidance.
Sunal Hundal, a journalist and columnist at Hindustan Times, complained about a letter sent by the charity on Twitter.
The Commission responded to Hundal on Twitter to say it had urgently contacted the charity. It also issued a statement saying: “The Commission was made aware of concerns regarding inappropriate political activity by the National Council of Hindu Temples (NCHTUK) and urgently contacted the charity. Charities must not encourage support for a particular political party or candidate. As a result of our intervention, NCHTUK issued a clarification at the end of its email to members dated 7 June.
“We have made it clear that NCHTUK must comply with our guidance on campaigning and political activities by charities and our guidance on charities and elections.”
The Commission has also contacted the Central Jamia Masjid Southall mosque after receiving a complaint about a YouTube video appeared to show the local Labour candidate being endorsed at a meeting.
A spokesman said: ““The Commission received a complaint in May 2017 regarding Central Jamia Masjid Southall breaching the Commission’s guidance on campaigning and political activity. The Commission contacted the charity and requested that the charity immediately withdraw its endorsement of a political candidate.
“The Commission’s guidance is clear that charities must not and cannot endorse political candidates.
“The Commission’s case is ongoing.”
The regulator was unable to say how many charities it has been in touch with since the general election was announced in April, however in the period running up to the 2015 election 17 charities were contacted by the Commission over their activity.
In December 2015 the regulator published a report summarising the 17 complaints and the action it took.
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