Just hours after landing in India, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson found himself in the midst of controversy.
Johnson raised eyebrows after jumping on top of an excavator and waving to the media at British construction giant JCB’s factory during a visit.
The prime minister has since been called a “tone deaf” amid protests against using the company’s bulldozers to demolish mostly Muslim homes in the country, according to India Today.
Mr Johnson arrived in India on Thursday, just a day after Delhi authorities ordered JCB bulldozers to demolish property owned by mostly Muslim residents.
The ordeal resulted in a public outcry, as many blamed the unfortunate timing of Johnson’s JCB factory visit.
A photo shared online shows the British Prime Minister smiling as he sits on a JCB bulldozer.
johnson was beaten Amnesty Indiacalled his visit “not only ignorant, but his silence on the case is deafening.”
Johnson even appeared on the front page of an Indian publication, criticizing his dire timing.
The right-wing Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has denied claims that the demolition has primarily targeted Muslims.
Local authorities have disputed claims that the demolition of homes in an area where religious riots broke out over the weekend were linked to the violence.