Tory peer withdraws racially charged comments

A Conservative peer has apologised and withdrawn comments that were criticised for being racially charged, as a second referral about his conduct was made to the House of Lords standards watchdog.

Rami Ranger, a major Conservative party donor, admitted that remarks unearthed by the Guardian that he made in a letter regarding Pakistani journalists and a later TV interview about grooming and drug dealing had caused offence.

He said they had been an over reaction made in the heat of the moment and added: It is by no means a reflection of how I see the British Pakistani community.

The Guardian understands Ranger has been reported to the Lords standards commissioners by Labour chair, Anneliese Dodds, for an interview he gave to Indian television earlier this month.

Ranger was fiercely critical of the BBCs two-part documentary about Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, which examined his role in the 2002 religious riots.

We are a very hard working community, we are not in prison as much as the Pakistani community, we do not do grooming of young girls, we do not do drug pedalling, Ranger told the broadcaster India Today.