It was shocking news for the Indian community in Britain. The most influential British-Indian politician was ousted from the Government in an unceremonious way. International Development Secretary Priti Patel was recalled from her Uganda trip and forced to submit her resignation for breaching the ministerial code of conduct.

What a fall! Just a few days back, she was sort of in the shoes of Prime Minister Theresa May to welcome guests at No 10 Downing Street to celebrate Diwali. We thought—a Prime Minister in waiting. A proud moment for the 1.5 million Indian-origin British citizens. We are getting closer and closer to the epicentre of British power. Former Prime Minister David Cameron’s prophecies will become a reality very soon. But that hope was shattered.

Patel, a former Indian diaspora champion and a Pravasi Bharatiya Puraskar awardee, became a victim of her own actions. Surprisingly nobody was there to mourn for her. Neither any party colleagues like MP Alok Sharma or the influential Conservative Friends of India.