Mel Stride took aim at fellow Tory Robert Jenrick over his comments about the Arabic phrase, which means "God is great".

Politics Live: Jenrick doubles down on 'outrageous' Allahu Akbar remarks

He told Sky News: "I think the suggestion of wholesale criminalisation of the words Allahu Akbar is unwise and insensitive.

"Any threat in the use of these words can only ever be implied in the very rarest of circumstances.

"Context clearly matters hugely here."

The criticism came as Labour's Angela Rayner accused Mr Jenrick of "stirring up" the riots, which have gripped the UK over the past week, with mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers targeted in the violence.

That includes the Holiday Inn Express at Manvers, near Rotherham, which rioters stormed on Sunday in what police described as "a disgusting display of thuggery".

Speaking from that hotel, the deputy prime minister said: "People like Robert Jenrick [have] been stirring up some of the problems that we've seen in our communities.

"Actually, what we want to see is communities coming together and the vast majority of the public want to see that."

Mr Jenrick was speaking about claims, which police have denied, that far-right riots over the last week have been dealt with more harshly than other recent unrest, such as protests against the war in Gaza.

He told Sky News: "You know, I thought it was quite wrong that somebody could shout Allahu Akbar on the streets of London and not be immediately arrested, or project genocidal chants on to Big Ben and that person not be immediately arrested.

"That attitude is wrong."

Muslim politicians criticised the Tory former minister, one of six bidding to be the party's next leader, accusing him of Islamophobia.

Labour MP Afzal Khan said Allahu Akbar is "the Muslim equivalent of Hallelujah" while his colleague Naz Shah said the phrase is used by "every Muslim in the world" during prayer and Mr Jenrick should "apologise and speak to Muslim communities and learn more about our faith".

Riots live: More than 100 far-right protests planned tonight

Following the backlash, the former immigration minister doubled down by posting a video on X of a march through Bolton with people chanting "Allahu Akbar".

He said: "'Allahu Akbar' is spoken peacefully and spiritually by millions of British Muslims in their daily lives. But the aggressive chanting below is intimidatory and threatening.

"And it's an offence under Section 4 and 5 of the Public Order Act."

But he was accused of trying to justify what he said rather than apologise by other senior Conservatives.

Baroness Warsi, a former Tory cabinet minister, addressed Mr Jenrick directly on X, saying: "No Robert, you do not get to go on national broadcasters and say one thing and try and pretend you said something else after!

"If you genuinely feel your comments on Sky News were inappropriate, offensive, incendiary and anti Muslim (which they were) then start by apologising.

"Then you can go back to pretending you a responsible candidate for the leadership of our party."

Former Tory Foreign Office minister Lord Ahmad said the comments fuel Islamophobia "at a time when communal tensions are high".

He said: "Don't try and 'qualify' your comments - just apologise!"

Mr Jenrick also faced criticism from Muslim organisations, with the Muslim Council of Britain saying his remark "only goes to show that institutional Islamophobia is alive and well in the Conservative Party".

Responding to Ms Rayner's comments, a spokesperson for Mr Jenrick said: "Robert has called out all disorder in the strongest possible terms, whether from the far-right or retaliatory violence from sectarian mobs.

"We are yet to see one Labour politician do the same. The country needs strong leadership, not squeamishness."