What did Lee Anderson say to Sadiq Khan? Rishi Sunak, Mark Harper and Oliver Dowden slammed for not branding UK MP "Islamophobic"

On February 24, Lee Anderson, former Tory deputy chairman and Ashford MP, was suspended from the Conservative whip for his slew of comments about London Mayor Sadiq Khan, claiming "Islamists" had "got control" of the latter when he appeared on GB News on Friday.

These comments drew heavy criticism from several Labour and Tory MPs, which led to the decision to suspend Anderson's Conservative whip.

Despite the Conservative Party swiftly suspending Lee Anderson's whip, UK PM Rishi Sunak, Transport Secretary Mark Harper, and Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden faced criticism for not condemning Anderson's remarks as "Islamophobic."

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Lee Anderson's remarks about Sadiq Khan branded "wrong" but not "Islamophobic"

According to The Guardian, Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party have maintained their stance, denouncing Lee Anderson's remarks as wrong and refusing to engage in any discourse about Islamophobia. Speaking to GB News on February 23, Lee Anderson claimed:

"I don't actually believe that the Islamists have got control of our country, but what I do believe is they've got control of Khan and they've got control of London… He's actually given our capital city away to his mates."

His comments come at a time of heightened tension due to the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, causing an undue rest for fear of safety among the MPs following the Gaza ceasefire vote on February 21.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, when asked whether the Tory party had Islamophobic tendencies as he appeared on Radio York, replied:

"No, of course it doesn’t. And I think it’s incumbent on all of us, especially those elected to parliament, not to inflame our debates in a way that’s harmful to others."

Speaking to Radio Humberside about the same issue, Sunak claimed to believe that "racism or prejudice of any kind is completely unacceptable," continuing:

"That’s because we have a way of doing these things, of respecting everyone, and at the same time ensuring that everyone integrates into our community and subscribes to a common set of British values."

As per The Guardian, his refusal to engage in a talk about anti-Muslim prejudice echoed Mark Harper's statements when the transport secretary did his media rounds on Monday.

When asked by Sky News whether Anderson's comments against Khan were rooted in Islamophobia, Harper refused to give an outright answer, instead calling the comments "wrong" and reiterating that he didn't want to "get into arguing about the rights and wrongs."

As per the BBC, Oliver Dowden claimed that Anderson was not "intending to be Islamophobic." Speaking on BBC One's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Dowden was repeatedly asked by the host whether he would brand the comments Islamophobic, which he declined to do but claimed he understood they "have caused offense." He added:

"I share concerns about how it could be taken that way. The fact it could be taken that way is the reason why the [Conservative] chief whip asked for an apology."

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Netizens outraged by Tory leaders' denial to brand Lee Anderson as "Islamophobic"

As Lee Anderson's comments about Sadiq Khan reached social media, netizens were outraged at the Tory leaders for refusing to brand the UK MP as an Islamophobe, claiming the party to be full of "political cowardice and anti-Muslim racist bigots."

Mayor Sadiq Khan has also accused the Prime Minister of "enabling anti-Muslim hatred," saying "Racism is racism."

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After having his Conservative whip suspended, Lee Anderson will now stand as an independent MP in the House of Commons.