British Indian leaders Rami Ranger and Anil Bhanot lose UK honours amid allegations of misconduct, sparking debates over free speech
Two prominent figures from the British Indian community, Conservative peer Rami Ranger and Anil Bhanot, managing trustee of Hindu Council UK, have had their honours revoked.
Ranger, a multi-millionaire, has been stripped of his CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire), while Bhanot, an accountant who operates a community arts centre in Leicester, has lost his OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire). The revocation was announced in the London Gazette on Friday.
Both individuals are required to return their insignia to Buckingham Palace and are no longer permitted to reference their honours. The decision came following a review by the forfeiture committee, which examines cases where an honour holder’s actions might tarnish the reputation of the honours system. The committee’s recommendations were conveyed to King Charles III via UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Allegations and free speech concerns
Ranger and Bhanot criticised the decision, labelling it an attack on free speech.
According to a report by Times of India, Bhanot, who received his OBE for fostering community cohesion, said that he had made representations to the forfeiture committee earlier this year. “I thought it would be alright, but apparently not,” he stated.
He explained that the complaint against him, alleging Islamophobia, stemmed from tweets he posted in 2021 concerning violence against Hindus in Bangladesh. Despite being cleared by the Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Charity Commission on grounds of free speech, he remains unaware of who reported him to the forfeiture committee.
Denying the allegations, he said, “At the time our temples were being destroyed and Hindus were being attacked and killed. The BBC wasn’t covering it and I felt empathy for those poor people. I felt someone had to say something. It was similar to what is happening now but on a smaller scale. I was calling for dialogue and legislative measures. I did not do anything wrong and I have not put the honours system into disrepute.”
He further said, “Free speech is a thing of the past now in England. I am quite upset about it. Because it’s an honour, it’s political,” he said, adding, “I don’t think they looked at my representations at all.”
Ranger plans legal challenge
Ranger, who received his CBE in 2016 for contributions to British business and community service, expressed similar concerns.
“I don’t care about the CBE, but I feel freedom of speech has been undermined and they are rewarding the wrong people, making them more powerful than upstanding citizens,” he said. He plans to pursue a judicial review of the decision and escalate the matter to the European Court of Human Rights.
The complaints against Ranger include one from the US-based group Sikhs for Justice, banned in India, regarding his defense of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and criticism of the BBC documentary *India: The Modi Question*. Another complaint related to comments he made about a trustee of a Southall gurdwara.
The report quoted a representative for Lord Ranger stated: “Lord Ranger has not committed any crime nor has he broken any law. It is a sad indictment that the honours system, which is designed to empower individuals who go the extra mile and as a result contribute a great deal to the nation, should be used to curtail the basic fundamental rights of free speech. Lord Ranger was a worthy recipient of his CBE. The manner in which it has been taken from him is shameful.”
