The London Mayor came under fire from his Conservative rival Shaun Bailey who blamed Mr Khan for exploiting last summer’s protests to “drive a wedge between communities” and “portray the police as an enemy”.
Mr Bailey, who is running against Mr Khan in May’s London mayoral election, told MailOnline: “Instead of using some of the issues raised by the Black Lives Matter protests to bring people together, he’s used it for his own political ends and to divide us.
“The Mayor has driven wedges between communities. He portrays the police as an ‘enemy,’ as the ‘other.’
“With his diversity commission, he’s trying to re-write British history but he does not have the expertise or the authority to do this.”
Mr Bailey said he was “not surprised” by recent figures which revealed only 3.3 percent of officers recruited by the Metropolitan Police were black.
He said: “I can understand why young black men don’t want to join the police because all they hear from Mr Khan and others like him is that they are the ‘other’ and the ‘enemy”.
“They use issues like stop and search to batter the police. But it’s an obligation on us all to join the institutions of British society so we can improve them.”
READ MORE: Sadiq Khan’s London statue commission dealt blow as appointee resigns
Mr Bailey said he would ditch diversity commission on his first day in office if elected in May.
He said: “I promise you it will go. It’s all about the politics of division and does nothing to bring people together or unite communities.
“There is a debate to be had about diversity in our public spaces, but it should be an inclusive process and cannot involve trying to eradicate British historical figures just to elevate ourselves.”
A London Labour spokesman said: “There is a clear choice in this election between Sadiq, who has always championed London’s values – and the Tory candidate who simply doesn’t share them.
“The Tory candidate has said appalling things about London’s diversity – including saying that multiculturalism is turning London into a ‘crime-riddled cesspool’.
“Sadiq makes no apologies for believing that Black Lives Matter and for trying to ensure that London’s diversity is better reflected in the statues and road names that make up our public realm.
“Anyone who wants to defend London’s values of diversity, inclusion and respect should vote for Sadiq on 6 May.”
