UK, LONDON: Elon Musk's assertion that race riots in the U.K. are 'inevitable' has been labeled 'pretty deplorable' by a government minister amid escalating tensions between the U.K. administration and the tech billionaire.

Heidi Alexander, the U.K. courts minister, criticized Musk for his comments regarding the recent violent disturbances in Britain. Several towns and cities have recently experienced far-right violence, targeting mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers. The unrest began following the murder of three young girls at a children's dance class in Southport last Monday, which was further inflamed by false claims on social media about the attacker’s identity.

Musk faced backlash from government officials after suggesting on Sunday that 'civil war is inevitable.' The owner of X also described the U.K. police's response as 'one-sided' and criticized Labour leader Keir Starmer's condemnation of the far-right attacks on mosques.

Alexander expressed her disapproval of Musk's comments during an interview with the BBC on Tuesday. 'I think Elon Musk's comments are totally unjustifiable,' she said. 'At this moment, everyone should be urging for calm.'

She added, “Given the immense platform he has, Musk bears a significant responsibility. Frankly, his comments are quite deplorable.”

Musk has also been criticized for the spread of misinformation on X about the Southport attacker's identity and for promoting criminal content as the riots intensified.

When asked about how the government plans to address issues related to Musk’s platform, Alexander acknowledged that current options are limited, with the Online Safety Act not set to take effect until the end of the year. 

'I'm not pretending this is easy,' she admitted. 'Technology evolves almost daily, so our legislative framework needs to keep pace. But there is also a moral obligation for social media companies themselves.'