BIRMINGHAM, England

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said offensive comments by former Deputy Chairman Lee Anderson are “wrong” and denied that his Conservative Party has “Islamophobic tendencies.”

Asked about Anderson's suspension from his senior party position after he refused to apologize for claiming "Islamists" had got "control" over London and that London Mayor Sadiq Khan had "given our capital city away to his mates," Sunak told BBC Radio on Monday these comments “weren't acceptable, they were wrong.”

His comments came after days of criticisms from all sides of the political spectrum for keeping silent over Anderson's remarks.

Asked about Anderson specifically, Sunak said: "Lee's comments weren't acceptable, they were wrong. That's why he's had the whip suspended."

Over the weekend, London Mayor Khan accused the prime minister of being "complicit" in racism for failing to condemn Anderson's comments that "pour fuel on the fire of anti-Muslim hatred."

Khan said the claim was Islamophobic and sent the message that Muslims were "fair game" when it came to racism.

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said "it's right" Anderson had been suspended after his "appalling racist and Islamophobic outburst against Sadiq Khan."

In a post on X after he was suspended on Saturday afternoon, Anderson said: "Following a call with the chief whip, I understand the difficult position that I have put both he and the prime minister in with regard to my comments.”