Blair slams slurs against Shilpa

SUPPORT FOR SHILPA: Channel 4 got 17,000 complaints about racist barbs against her.

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New Delhi: The alleged bullying and racist abuse of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty on the primetime UK reality television show Big Brother has sparked off controversy in Britain, with Prime Minister Tony Blair saying, “Racism should be opposed in all its forms when the issue was raised in British Parliament.”

"I have not seen the particular programme in question and cannot comment on it," Blair said.

Labour MP Keith Vaz, who tabled an early day motion in the House of Commons on the issue on Tuesday, asked Blair on Wednesday whether broadcasters should take care not to allow such material to go on air.

The motion read, ''The House views with concern comments made about Shilpa Shetty by other housemates, believes that Big Brother has a role in preventing racist behaviour, regrets that these comments have been made and calls on the programme to take action to remind housemates that racist behaviour is unacceptable.''

Treasury Minister Ed Balls earlier told BBC Two's Daily Politics programme that the suggestion of racism in the UK projected an "appalling" image around the world.

The producers of the show are probing the matter but so far neither Channel 4 nor the show's makers, Endemol, has indicated that action would be taken against the housemates accused of bullying or that any changes would be made to the show.

The network has received nearly 17,500 complaints from viewers about the racist barbs made against Shilpa on the show.

One of the sponsors of Channel 4's most popular show, in which Shilpa and nine other stars are participants, threatened to pull out as the issue figured in the House of Commons.

British mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse said it was reviewing its sponsorship of Big Brother and did not rule out abandoning the arrangement.

Chief executive Charles Dunstone said the company was "talking to Channel 4. The sponsorship is constantly under review. Clearly, we are against racism."

Meanwhile, some of Shilpa's fellow housemates have received email threats. Hertfordshire police said "two emails have been received by the television studios that contain unspecified threats against a number of the housemates. Police are currently looking into the emails."

NRI actress and women's rights activist Meera Syal led an unprecedented wave of criticism against the attacks on 31-year-old Shilpa, who was reduced to tears after allegedly being taunted about her skin colour, accent and cooking.

Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown Brown, who was in Bangalore on Wednesday, said that he wanted Britain to be seen as a country of fairness and a country of tolerance.

Brown added that he condemned any behaviour that would detract from the view of Britain.

Shilpa was reportedly called 'the Paki', 'dog' and 'that Indian' on the show by other participants- comments that drove her to tears.

(With Agency inputs)