The BJP came down heavily upon PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti for her tweet criticising the Indian government over “discriminatory laws like NRC and CAA” as she congratulated Indian-origin Rishi Sunak for being elected as the UK Prime Minister.
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister on Monday said while India rightly celebrates Sunak’s elevation, it should also serve as a reminder that Britain has accepted an ethnic minority member as its premier but we are still shackled by “divisive and discriminatory laws like NRC and CAA.”
Proud moment that UK will have its first Indian origin PM. While all of India rightly celebrates, it would serve us well to remember that while UK has accepted an ethnic minority member as its PM, we are still shackled by divisive & discriminatory laws like NRC & CAA,” the PDP said in a tweet.
Hitting back at Mufti, BJP’s IT cell head Amit Malviya said that India has had three Muslim and one Sikh President, a Sikh Prime Minister for 10 years (referring to Manmohan Singh), need not learn about “diversity and inclusivity” from any other country.
“India, which has had three Muslim and one Sikh President, a Sikh PM for 10 years, minorities in top judicial positions and even the armed forces, need not learn about diversity and inclusivity from any other country. But Mehbooba must walk the talk and back a Hindu for J&K’s CM,” he tweeted
Sunak will make history as Britain’s first Indian-origin Prime Minister having been elected unopposed as the new leader of the governing Conservative Party on Diwali, as Penny Mordaunt opted out from the race.
The millionaire son-in-law of Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy, will be the first Hindu Prime Minister of the UK and the youngest British PM in 210 years — when Spencer Perceval held the post.
Opposition hopes India will one day elect minority to top post
Meanwhile, several other opposition leaders hoped that India will take a lesson from Sunak’s elevation and adopt the practice of electing a person from among minorities to the top post.
“First Kamala Harris, now Rishi Sunak. The people of the US and the UK have embraced the non-majority citizens of their countries and elected them to high office in government,” Chidambaram said on Twitter.
“I think there is a lesson to be learned by India and the parties that practise majoritarianism,” he added.
“If this does happen, I think all of us will have to acknowledge that the Brits have done something very rare in the world, to place a member of a visible minority in the most powerful office. As we Indians celebrate the ascent of @RishiSunak, let’s honestly ask: can it happen here,” said Shashi Tharoor.
TMC leader Mahua Moitra said, “Proud of the UK, my second favourite country for placing a British Asian in Number 10. May India be more tolerant and more accepting of all faiths, all backgrounds.”
