On 6th December (local time), two prominent British Indian figures, Lord Rami Ranger and Anil Bhanot, were stripped of their prestigious honours. Lord Ranger, a multi-millionaire businessman, lost his CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire). Bhanot, the managing trustee of the Hindu Council UK and a Leicester-based accountant, was stripped of his OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire).
Reportedly, Bhanot was accused of “Islamophobia”, and Ranger was accused of voicing support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of the BBC documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots, which was banned in India. Complaints against them were made by the UK-based pro-Islamic website 5 Pillars and the US-based Khalistani terrorist outfit Sikhs For Justice, respectively.
The decision was announced in the London Gazette. It was initiated by the honours forfeiture committee and approved by King Charles III on the recommendation of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The forfeiture committee investigates cases where the recipients of honours might have brought the honours system into disrepute. Both Ranger and Bhanot are required to return their insignias to Buckingham Palace. As per the regulations, both of them can no longer use references to their former titles.
Allegations of ‘Islamophobia’ and free speech concerns
Anil Bhanot was awarded the OBE for his efforts in community cohesion. Following the decision, Bhanot expressed his dismay. While speaking to The Times of India, he said that in January this year, the committee had contacted him over complaints accusing him of Islamophobia. The complaints were made following his social media posts on X (then Twitter), where he expressed concerns over violence against Hindus in Bangladesh in 2021. Possibly in the heat of the moment, Bhanot had called Islam a “religion of violence”. The complaint against Bhanot was made by the dubious Islamic website 5 Pillars.
Though there was no uproar over his comments in 2021, but in February 2022, Bhanot came under 5 Pillar’s radar when he said that the term “Islamophobia” was being used to cull freedom of speech. 5 Pillar dug his old posts on social media and published a report claiming Bhanot was an “Islamophobe”. Bhanot, who was then director of Hindu Council UK, had to step down from his position. Interestingly, the social media accounts of 5 Pillars are withheld in India because of their anti-India and anti-Hindu content. Not to forget, the deputy director of 5PIllarsUK, tried to mobilise support from Pakistanis and Bangladeshi Muslims over the Karnataka Hijab controversy and had called for turning India “Islamic”.
In his defence, Bhanot argued that those comments were made in empathy with Hindu victims during a period when temples were being destroyed and the minority Hindu community was being attacked. He added that the BBC failed to cover those events adequately. He said, “I was calling for dialogue and legislative measures. I did not do anything wrong, and I have not brought the honours system into disrepute.” He termed the stripping of the title a “decline in free speech” in England.
In a comment to 5 Pillar’s article, Bhanot had written, “I aplogise unreservedly. These replies to tweets from the subcontinent happened after the Bangladesh violence against Hindus last autumn and then on conversion, a Hindu student committed suicide under pressure from Christian conversion. I respect the spirituality in Islam as in all religions. I should not have got involved with the subcontinent’s issues as in UK we all do respect all religions. I am sorry. I also said 99% of Muslims are fine, meaning good, so this Shaitan is really a reference to some bad people in every religion. Of course it cannot be otherwise. I am not divisive or have any hate in my heart for anyone, I reacted to events in the subcontinent and erroneously. I am sorry.”
He further added that the Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Charity Commission had cleared him of similar accusations on free speech grounds. “Because it’s an honour, it’s political,” he said. He further questioned whether his representations were ever seriously considered by the committee before making the decision.
Lord Ranger vows legal action
Lord Ranger had received his CBE in 2016 for his services to British business and community work. Echoing Bhanot’s sentiments, Ranger said that the decision made by the committee undermines free speech. Ranger was “accused” of defending Prime Minister Narendra Modi in response to the BBC documentary India: The Modi Question, which was later banned in India, and comments involving a Southall Gurdwara trustee. He was also accused of harassing a journalist Poonam Joshi and using derogatory language against Pakistanis and Sikh community. Several complaints were made against Ranger, including one from the US-based Khalistani terrorist organisation Sikhs For Justice, founded by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Joshi reportedly filed a complaint with the House of Lords Standards Commissioner. Following the investigation, Ranger reportedly apologised to Joshi and agreed to take a behaviour coaching course as directed by the Commissioner. In a statement, Joshi said that she reciprocated with her own apology. Notably, in March 2023, Pannun had sued Ranger for suggesting that Sikhs For Justice is funded by the enemies of India. The allegations were made in an article in the Pakistan Daily in November 2021 in an interview with Ranger.
A spokesperson from Ranger’s office spoke to The Times of India and said, “It is a sad indictment that the honours system, which is meant to empower those who contribute significantly to the nation, is being used to suppress fundamental rights of free speech.” Speaking to media, a spokesperson added, “Lord Ranger has not committed any crime nor has he broken any law, where the majority of the people who have had their honour revoked in this way, have committed a crime or broken the law. Lord Ranger is devastated that the CBE awarded to him for his services to British business and for promoting community cohesion has been taken away.”
Ranger has announced that he intends to seek a judicial review in the matter and might escalate it to the European Court of Human Rights. Criticising the system for “rewarding the wrong people”, he said, “I don’t care about the CBE, but I feel freedom of speech has been undermined.”
The removal of honours from Lord Rami Ranger and Anil Bhanot has raised questions about free speech and the fairness of the honours system. Both have expressed concerns that the decisions were influenced by politics and that their cases were not properly reviewed. With legal challenges ahead, the issue highlights the need to examine how accusations and public opinion can affect the recognition of people who have made significant contributions.
