London: A local councillor in a British city has been suspended for calling an Indian-origin rival "coconut" - a racial slur.
Shirley Brown, a councillor belonging to the Liberal Democrat party in the city of Bristol, hurled the slur at her Tory rival Jay Jethwa during a debate in February.
Brown has apologised for the remark but was suspended for a month on Tuesday. She said she was shocked by the decision which she said seemed harsh.
Brown and Jethwa are the only two women ethnic minority members of Bristol council.
The term 'coconut' - a fruit that is brown on the outside and white on the inside - means someone who is Asian or Black but is considered to be 'sold out'.
Angered by Tory party proposals to cut funding for an ethnic minority organisation in Bristol, Brown told Jethwa at the meeting, "In our culture we have a word for you, a word which many in the city would understand, and that's coconut.
"At the end of the day I look at you as that," she said.
Jethwa said a committee set up to investigate the incident: "It is extremely insulting for councillor Brown to suggest I am not aware of my culture.”
"I urge the strongest sanction possible is taken to send the message that racism from any quarter will not be tolerated in this city."
Committee chair Anne Foot said, "This committee condemns without reservation the deeply offensive language. We would hope that councillor Brown has learnt a very painful lesson and would not use offensive language again."
Brown apologised, saying, "I am sincerely sorry. It was never my intention to hurt, harm or bring any disrepute to the council. We all use different terminology in our culture; unfortunately I used the wrong terminology. It was never my intention to offend. I should not have said it."
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