A Tory MP has accused Rishi Sunak of “choosing not to support some faith communities” as the row over Lee Anderson’s attack on Sadiq Khan continues.
Former leadership contender Rehman Chishti said the prime minister’s response to the controversy has been “absolutely unacceptable”.
Anderson was stripped of the Tory whip after he said the Labour mayor of London had “given our capital city away to his mates”.
He also said “Islamists” had “got control of Khan and they’ve got control of London”.
Sunak said the former Tory deputy chairman’s comments were “wrong” but insisted he was not “a racist person or an Islamophobic person”.
Appearing on Sky News last night, Chishti said: “What we’re seeing from the prime minister and his ministers at the moment, they are choosing to support some faith communities and they’re choosing not to support some faith communities. And that is absolutely unacceptable.”
The MP also accused the PM of going back on a promise he made to him during the Tory leadership campaign in the summer of 2022 to “treat all faith communities fairly”.
He said: “I said to the prime minister, look, you know, in our national interest, let’s ensure that we have a government which is inclusive and engaged with people from all different faiths and backgrounds.
“We’ve had an issue with regards to engaging with the Muslim community, and I want you to commit to me that it will be an inclusive government, a merit based system, and you can treat all faith communities fairly. And I shared data with him.
“He said to me, Rehman, I’m committed to this and we will work together on this if I become prime minister.”
Asked by presenter Sophy Ridge if the PM had “kept his promise”, Chishti said: “I have not seen the prime minister for over a year and a half since he’s become prime minister.”
Anderson yesterday doubled down on his comments by insisting he would not apologise.
And in a GB News interview last night, he also claimed to have had “lots of support in my WhatsApp, an amazing amount of support”.
When asked whether the support was all Tory MPs, he replied: “Yeah, there’s no Labour MPs.”
Writing in the Evening Standard newspaper, Khan said Anderson’s comments had “poured petrol on the fire” of hatred against Muslims.
He said some Conservatives were adopting “a deliberate, dangerous political strategy – a strategy to weaponise anti-Muslim prejudice for electoral gain”.