BNP could get first Asian member
By Mandeep Sanghera
BBC Asian Network
Mr Singh says he admires BNP leader Nick Griffin
An Asian man has said he could become the first non-white to join the British National Party.
The BNP lifted its whites-only membership rules for fear of legal action and 78-year-old Rajinder Singh has voiced his support for the party.
"If they ask me to join I will not say no," the retired teacher told BBC Asian Network.
BNP leader Nick Griffin said: "I will be absolutely delighted to shake his hand and give him his membership card."
Mr Singh was born in West Punjab in India before moving to the United Kingdom in 1967.
"The only reason (for not joining the BNP) will be that I don't have the guts to stand up for my beliefs," he said.
"I do like to support them for their policies, as they want to save this country."
He added: "Once they have saved it for themselves it will be safe for me too."
'Legal reasons'
The BNP held an extraordinary general meeting in Essex on Sunday where it voted to allow black or Asian members to join after the threat of legal action by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
We continue to avow the right of the indigenous British to be recognised, accorded our full rights as an indigenous people
Nick Griffin, BNP leader
Griffin hails reporter's ejection
Mr Singh expressed fears over Muslim extremism and said he had been impressed by Mr Griffin.
"I have met him several times and he's very friendly," he said.
"He's a genius who stands out as Nelson did on the battle field. He's a great hero and he's taking on the whole storm of leftists."
Mr Singh added: "I think the BNP are down to earth, practical and for Britain in every sense.
"Nick Griffin got the idea that there are threats from extremism from somewhere and he's the one who stood up. I admire him for that."
Mr Griffin has said the party had been forced to drop its whites-only policy "for legal reasons," although he added that "many of our members think it's a good thing".
In an e-mail to party supporters, he said: "We continue to avow the right of the indigenous British to be recognised, accorded our full rights as an indigenous people, and to organise ourselves and our non-indigenous friends to fight politically and legally to secure and defend those rights.
"The fact that a few of those non-indigenous friends (let's be realistic, there is not going to be a flood) will henceforth be card-carrying members instead of watchers from the sidelines, will change very little.
"Except that, as some of our less bigoted and more intelligent opponents are already complaining, our enemies will have far more trouble making the 'racist' tag stick against us."
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