London, Dec 7 (IANS): Honors awarded to two prominent figures of the British Indian community – Rami Ranger and Hindu Council UK managing trustee Anil Bhanot – have been withdrawn by King Charles III.
King stripped the millionaire ranger of the title of CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) and the title of OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) from Bhanot, a practicing accountant who runs a community arts center in Leicester. According to media reports, this announcement was made in the ‘London Gazette’ on Friday. Both will be asked to return their insignia to Buckingham Palace.
A forfeiture committee considers cases in which the holder of the honor may be considered to have brought the honors system into disrepute. The confiscation committee’s recommendations were submitted to the king through British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Ranger and Bhanot condemned the move as an attack on freedom of expression.
Bhanot, who received an OBE for community cohesion, said he was approached by the Seizure Committee in January and presented his case. “I thought it would be OK, but obviously it wasn’t,” he said.
According to the report, Bhanot informed that the complaint alleging Islamophobia was about his tweets about violence against Hindus in Bangladesh in 2021. A website complained about these tweets to the Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Charity Commission, and both cleared him on freedom of expression grounds.
Bhanot said that he did not know who complained to the seizure committee. He denied that he had said anything Islamophobic.
Bhanot said, “At that time our temples were being destroyed and Hindus were being attacked but the media was not covering it. I felt sympathy for those people. I felt that someone should say something. It was similar to what is happening now, but on a smaller scale. I did not do anything wrong and did not denigrate the honor system now. Freedom of speech in England. It’s a thing of the past and I’m quite upset about it. Because it’s an honor, I don’t think he paid any attention to my plea.”
A spokesman for Lord Rami Ranger, a Conservative Party supporter and founder of UK-based FMCG firm Sun Marks Ltd, described the decision as ‘unjust’ and said Ranger would challenge it.
Ranger was awarded a CBE in the December 2015 New Year Honors list on behalf of the late Queen Elizabeth II for services to British business and the Asian community.
Although the UK Cabinet Office Seizures Committee does not explain its reasons behind such recommendations, the move follows a Lords inquiry last year which concluded that Ranger breached the parliamentary code of conduct relating to ‘bullying and harassment’. Had done.
A spokesman for Lord Ranger said he was considering challenging the ‘unjust decision’. He said: “Lord Ranger has committed no crime and has not broken any law, whereas the majority of people who have their honors revoked in this way have committed a crime or broken the law.
The spokesperson further said that he is considering all options for appeal through various legal avenues open to him. Lord Ranger was a worthy recipient of his CBE. The way it has been snatched away from them is shameful.”
–IANS
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