The Mayor of Bath has been suspended from the Liberal Democrat group and will undertake training in equalities and social media conduct, after retweets about the arson attack on ambulances run by a Jewish charity.
Mayor of Bath Dr Bharat Pankhania | Photo © Paul Gillis / paulgillisphoto.com
Dr Bharat Pankhania, the 798th Mayor of Bath, retweeted a post on his personal account on X (formerly Twitter) which called the arson attack in Golders Green an Israeli false flag operation, along with two posts suggesting it was insurance fraud.
He has since deleted the retweets and published a full apology on X, calling the posts “abhorrent”.
He has now been suspended from the Liberal Democrat group on Bath & North East Somerset Council, where he has been a councillor for Combe Down since 2019.
Dr Pankhania told the Local Democracy Service: “I am very sorry and upset. I made a mistake in retweeting, not realising that retweeting is endorsement.
“There is no way I hate people or other religions. It is pure and simple a mistake on my part and that’s why I immediately apologised and withdrew my retweets.”
A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrat group said: “Dr Bharat Pankhania has been suspended from the Liberal Democrat group.
“We reject antisemitism in all its forms and stand in solidarity with the Jewish community following the appalling arson attack earlier this week.
“He has again offered an unreserved apology for these posts and will be undertaking training in equalities and social media conduct.”
Dr Pankhania had reposted a post which referred to the burning of the ambulances as an “Israel false flag” and which said: “People are now asking why do the Jewish community have their own private ambulances in the UK?”.
Established in London following the deaths of Jewish people waiting for ambulances, Hatzola is a volunteer-led ambulance service which responds to anyone within its area who needs help, whether Jewish or not.
In his apology posted on X, Dr Pankhania said: “I have been made aware that I have reposted or replied to some posts which have never aligned to my values and beliefs, and which are abhorrent.
“I am incredibly apologetic that I have not lived up to the standards I set myself. I have of course deleted them, and I wish to apologise unreservedly.”
The four ambulances were set on fire in Golders Green, an area in London with a large Jewish community, in the early hours of March 23. Police are treating it as an antisemitic hate crime.
Two men who were arrested in connection with the incident on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life have now been released on strict bail conditions while the investigation continues.
The Mayor of Bath is a purely ceremonial role, held for a year at a time by one of the councillors on Bath & North East Somerset Council who represent a ward within the city. Dr Pankhania has been a councillor since 2019.
John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter
