As Rishi Sunak is set to become Britain’s first Prime Minister of Indian origin, Opposition leaders sought to target the BJP-led Central government, saying that India should learn about “diversity” from Britain.
“India should learn how to respect “diversity” from the UK. India was known across the world for its diversity and for its respect towards diversity. In the last eight years, everything has changed,” senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said at a press conference
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.
Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday 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.
Reacting to Sunak’s elevation, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said, “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 @RishiSuna, let’s honestly ask: can it happen here?”
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.”
