'Empire Strikes Back, return Kohinoor now': Internet reacts as Rishi Sunak wins UK PM race

The race for the position of the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister is over, with Rishi Sunak emerging winner. Conservative leadership contender Penny Mordaunt dropped out, clearing the road for Sunak to become the UK's first Indian-origin PM. This has created a tremendous buzz online.

Netizens react to Rishi Sunak winning UK PM race

As the news of Rishi Sunak being set to become the next UK Prime Minister spread, many online have already started making demands for the ‘Kohinoor’ diamond to be returned to India.

One Twitterati wrote, “The Empire Strikes Back! Rishi Sunak to be the next UK Prime Minister. Ps: Kohinoor bhijwa de wapis (Send Kohinoor back to India).”

Another user tweeted a photograph of Sunak (actually a morphed Ashish Nehra) with Prime Minister Narendra Modi writing, “PM Modi and PM Rishi Sunak discussing how to get Kohinoor back to India.”

Meanwhile, some users demanded the return of various items of cultural significance to India from the UK after they were taken during the Crown’s colonial rule over the country.

One user tweeted, “Rishi Sunak to become UK PM. Congratulations to him. After bailing out the UK from economic crisis, hoping he make sure India's Kohinoor, Amravati stupa, Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi gets back to India.” The user suggested, “This way he will become greatest PM of UK (for Indians).”

Sunak receives congratulations

Meanwhile, congratulatory messages for Sunak poured in from various UK MPs. Ex-UK PM David Cameron congratulated Sunak through a tweet. "I predicted a decade ago that Conservatives would select our first Brit Indian PM & proud today that comes to be. I wish Rishi the v best, he has my wholehearted support," Cameron tweeted.

Scotland’s first minister also congratulated Rishi Sunak via her Twitter handle. “I wish him well and, notwithstanding our political differences, will do my best to build a constructive working relationship with him in the interests of those we serve,” she wrote in a tweet.

Penny Mordaunt had revealed her decision to drop out from the race through a tweet, "Our Party is our membership. Whether we are elected representatives, activists, fundraisers or supporters. We all have a stake in who our leader is. These are unprecedented times. Despite the compressed timetable for the leadership contest, it is clear that colleagues feel we need certainty today. They have taken this decision in good faith for the good of the country. Members should know that this proposition has been fairly and thoroughly tested by the agreed 1922 process."