Friday, June 10 2005 19:19 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: A French shoe manufacturer, which enraged Hindus by selling designer shoes with images of Lord Ram, has taken the product off shelves.

However, a leading Hindu organisation said that despite the withdrawal of sale of shoes by French company Minelli it would go ahead with a rally outside the French embassy in London on Sunday (Jun 12, 2005) to protest against the shoe manufacturer's failure to "apologise" to Hindus and also to condemn "religious intolerance" in France.

"Minelli, though agreed to withdraw the offensive shoes, has not apologised to Hindus," Ramesh Kallidai, Secretary General of the Hindu Forum of Britain, said today (Jun 10, 2005). "Besides, the protest is against the religious intolerance practiced in France where the French Government has refused to accord the status of a bonafide religion to Hindu temples, thus denying them legitimate tax benefits enjoyed by other religions," he said.

The Hindu Forum of Britain has asked Hindus worldwide to boycott all French goods and participate en-masse in the protest rally outside the French embassy here on Sunday.

The Forum has also asked Hindus to stop flying by Air France and write to the international Olympic committee suggesting that selection of Paris as a venue for 2012 Olympics "will not be" in keeping with the ethos of human rights and religious freedom.