Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, has sparked fresh controversy on Twitter with remarks directed at Pakistan. Responding to a tweet by an Indian parliamentarian that accused Pakistanis of being the primary culprits behind the UK’s grooming gang scandal, Musk simply replied, “True,” igniting a heated debate across social media platforms.
Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said the blame for grooming gangs in the UK cannot be laid on Asia, but “one rogue nation” Pakistan, a statement Elon Musk said was “true”.
The debate around sex grooming gangs in the UK has reignited, with Elon Musk entering the controversy by accusing UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer of being “complicit” in the scandal. Musk’s comments coincided with the opposition Conservative Party’s demand for an ongoing national inquiry into the extensive sexual abuse of mainly white British girls by men, primarily of Pakistani descent, across numerous northern English towns lasting several decades.
Prime Minister Starmer, in response to Musk’s accusation, dismissed it as misinformation. “Those spreading lies and misinformation far and wide are not interested in victims; they’re interested in themselves,” Starmer said, criticizing opponents as “desperate for attention.”
Ms. Chaturvedi expressed her disagreement with Starmer’s statement. She emphasized his comments regarding the initiation of the first legal action against an Asian grooming gang while he served as the leader of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) from 2008 to 2013.
Investigations, however, have revealed that, in contrast to right-wing narratives, 42% of offenders in grooming gang cases were white, 17% were black, and only 14% were classified as Asian or Asian British. In the meantime, Musk has persisted in his criticisms of Starmer, intensifying the debate and igniting fervent conversations throughout social media and political arenas.
Months after the case of 10-year-old British-Pakistan girl Sara Sharif, who was found dead in her home outside of London in August 2023 with severe injuries like burns, broken bones, and even bite marks after years of abuse, the children’s bill was introduced, and supported by UK lawmakers. Last month, Urfan Sharif, her father, and Beinash Batool, her stepmother, were found guilty of her murder and sentenced to life in prison.
