British Indian community leaders Tory peer Rami Ranger and Hindu Council UK managing trustee Anil Bhanot have had their honours stripped by King Charles III in a surprise move.
Rami Ranger, a multi-millionaire member of the House of Lords, had his Commander of the British Empire (CBE) title revoked after being accused of “bringing the honours system into disrepute.” Anil Bhanot, a chartered accountant, had his Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) honour “cancelled and annulled” by the King, according to a Friday report by the London Gazette.
Both individuals are required to return their insignia to Buckingham Palace and cannot refer to their honours.
What Are the CBE and OBE Honours?
The CBE, or Commander of the Order of the British Empire, is the highest-ranking honour in the UK, followed by the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). The honours system was initiated by King George V during World War I to recognize people who helped the war effort from the home front in the UK. Today, these honours recognize significant positive contributions in different fields.
Ranger and Bhanot Awarded For This Reason
Rami Ranger was honored by the late Queen Elizabeth II in the New Year’s Honours list of December 2015 for his work in British business and community cohesion when he received his CBE. Born in Gujranwala-now in Pakistan- he later moved to Patiala as a result of partition- he migrated to the UK to pursue law and was later to become a prominent businessman, having founded the FMCG company Sun Mark.
