Lisa Nandy has come under fire after she was accused of prioritising Islam and “excluding other faith groups” from the new committee for social cohesion.

The Culture Secretary appointed the boss of a Muslim charity as an adviser to a new civil society project.

However, no one from Christian, Hindu or other specific faiths was appointed for the role.

Chief executive of the Muslim Charities Forum (MCF) Fadi Itani has been appointed as a member of the steering committee of her Civil Society Covenant.

The group aims to promote “social cohesion” by bringing together “volunteers, charities, faith organisations” and others.

Nandy had described such organisations as “the eyes, ears and voice of the people”.

However, Itani is the only member of a faith-specific group to be represented on its advisory group, while the only other religious organisation is Faith Action, which represents all faiths.

PA

 | Lisa Nandy speaking at the Labour Conference

A spokesman for Insight UK, the Hindu and Indian advocacy group, said the Government needed to clarify its position on the matter.

They told The Telegraph: “The Government’s decision to invite only a Muslim charity to participate in its civic society covenant while excluding other faith groups is discriminatory and shows preferential treatment for one faith group.

“While the inclusion of Muslim voices in civic dialogue is valuable, the exclusion of other faith groups such as Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and other faith-based organisations suggests an inconsistent approach to interfaith representation.

“To ensure legitimacy and effectiveness, the Government should clarify its selection criteria and broaden participation to include all major faith communities in this civic initiative.”