Thursday, June 9 2005 11:43 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: Hindu organisations in the UK indignant at a French manufacturer's refusal to remove a deity from its designer shoes yesterday (Jun 8, 2005) asked all devotees worldwide to boycott all French-made goods and participate en-masse in a protest rally outside the French embassy in London on June 12.

The move came after the French manufacturer Minelli refused to respond to requests for withdrawal of the sale of designer shoes with images of Lord Rama.

The Forum has also demanded that Indian Government should stop buying Mirage planes from the French Government, write to the international Olympic committee that selecting Paris as a venue for 2012 Olympics will not be in keeping with the ethos of human rights and religious freedom and stop flying with Air France.

"This is the last straw," commented Ramesh Kallidai, Secretary General of the Hindu Forum of Britain.

"Hinduism is a very tolerant religion and we have no problems if our images are used in a respectful manner. But to use the image of Lord Rama on a shoe, when we don't even wear shoes inside our temples, is disrespectful and disgraceful. It has hurt the sentiments of over one billion Hindus in the world and yet Minelli have not agreed to withdraw the sale."