Victoria’s first Indian-born mayor has stepped down from his duties and complained about being the victim of racist comments days after failing to front court on dangerous driving charges.
Pradeep Tiwari, Mayor of Maribyrnong in Melbourne’s northwest, briefly had a warrant out for his arrest on Thursday after he did not attend a scheduled hearing at Melbourne Magistrates Court, but it was later withdrawn after Tiwari’s lawyers provided the court with further information.
He is facing three charges – dangerous driving, failing to ensure a passenger not in the same seat as driver, and using a portable device while behind the wheel – over an alleged incident in Flemington in June last year, three months before he was elected.
Mr Tiwari publicly addressed the charges for the first time on Monday, saying he was standing down as Mayor but would remain a councillor, and launched into a rant complaining about racism.
“I must strongly condemn the racist comments that have been posted about my heritage in response to this matter,” he wrote.
“It is very difficult for me to understand why the entire Indian community is being mocked and degraded with racist commentary.
“Racism has no place in our society, and I will continue to call it out whenever it appears.”
Mr Tiwari was born in a remote village in northern India and moved to Australia with his family at age two in 1985. He then worked for his father’s Indian grocery store business before entering local government.
In February he told the Herald Sun he was “stereotyped” during his mayoral election campaign in September last year, and said organising Indian cultural festivals and lobbying council for more activities led to him deciding to get involved in politics.
“When I was doorknocking, people who didn’t know me would ask, ‘Are you a real estate agent? A builder? A developer?’ It took me a few weeks to realise why,” he said.
“I noticed that in other areas, candidates from Indian backgrounds often came from those professions, and I was being grouped into that category.
“I had to develop a response because I was being stereotyped. People would see my name or my background and wonder, ‘What’s in it for you? What are you planning?’ I had to break this stereotype, and convince them with what I had done for the community, what my vision was, and why I was running.”
During his campaign he also complained about racism after someone drew a dot on his forehead on one of his posters.
Mr Tiwari’s court case has been adjourned until October.
Header image: Left, right Pradeep Tiwari (Facebook).
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