"Whatever your politics, let's all celebrate the first British Asian becoming PM and be proud of our country where this can happen," George Osbourne tweeted this morning on Rishi Sunak' s new appointment. His words echoed the thoughts of many flooding social media timelines, commending the former Chancellor to have made history in the UK's succession of Prime Ministers.
Not only is he the first British Asian in the top spot in politics, but he is also the first Tory leader to follow a faith other than Christianity, with the move proudly hailed within the Hindu community as "Great Britain's Barack Obama moment" and their "watershed moment". However, not everyone is convinced.
A few other British Asian public figures, particularly Opposition MPs, have discredited Mr Sunak's prominent position as having any clout in representing ethnic minorities in Britain due to his extraordinary wealth and privilege - as he is worth £730million thanks to the combined fortune of his billionaire heir wife.
His heritage was explained in his campaign video for the first Tory Leadership race in the summer, which he lost out on to Liz Truss, where Mr Sunak said that thanks to this country, his family was able to have the "chance of a better future" with "opportunities they could only dream of" - just like the "millions like them".
When the new PM's African-born Hindu parents of Indian-Punjabi descent moved to the UK and settled in Southampton, his father, Yashvir, became an NHS GP while his mother, Usha, was a pharmacist.
They put Mr Sunak through private education, where he attended independent boarding school Winchester College, before studying at Lincoln College at the University of Oxford.
He says he got into politics because he wants everyone to have "those same opportunities", and now he has been lauded as an inspiration to the Asian community.
General secretary of the Hindu Council UK, Rajnish Kashyap, says Mr Sunak's designation will remove racial barriers to success.
He tells The Mirror: "It's a historical moment, it is incredible to see a British Hindu as UK Prime Minister.
"Regardless of political views, we think it is very inspiring to see someone from Asian background reach these heights.
"It creates a real sense of hope for the future generations to be actively and inclusively involved in the British political system, removing racial barriers and creating more diversity within leadership for this country."
For Sachin Dev Duggal, CEO and founder of software firm Builder.ai, who is a first-generation Indian born in the UK, it's a "watershed moment" for hardworking immigrants.
He compares what Mr Sunak has achieved to the sought-after ethos of the 'American Dream' but on UK soil.
Speaking with The Mirror, the 39-year-old argues: "It's less about an Indian-origin Prime Minister, but more about the right person, that the right person can be from a minority background, and that the right person can in fact be of Indian ethnicity. That all three can exist together is a hattrick.
"Some of us are born with power, some of us find it by good luck and some of us have to work for it. He's had a combination of working very hard for it and also finding some good old-fashioned good luck. Last time I checked you can't critique hard work and good luck.
"For all of us that came from immigrant parents, who worked hard, and dreamed big; this is our watershed moment. The aspirational value that this moment in history brings is incredible.
"Rishi is more than Rishi, he is now a beacon of the 'Great British Dream' – one founded on opportunity, zeal, and grit."
And Sanjay Chandarana, the president of Mr Sunak's home temple - Vedic Society Temple, Southampton - compares the move to US politics, claiming the significant deployment as "Great Britain's Barack Obama moment".
The 41-year-old told The Times: "Rishi becoming Prime Minister is Great Britain's Barack Obama moment.
"People are suddenly feeling proud of this moment and they think it's an icebreaker, just like the Barack Obama moment happened in the US. This is Britain's moment.
"I have been in this country for 22 years and this country gave me everything. This shows if you have the talent and a skill you get the job.
"This will be a proud moment for everyone who is Hindu. We are no longer just a community that is not part of the mainstream, we are now part of the mainstream."
On the other hand, critics have claimed that the colour of Mr Sunak's skin and his religious beliefs mean nothing when his privileged background puts him on a pedestal.
Zarah Sultana, Labour MP for Coventry South, claims representation at the top does nothing to help ethnic minorities when it comes to the Conservatives.
"As a member of the Government, he's actively pushed through policy that stopped people from being able to come to the UK and rebuild their lives, from the Rwanda policy that will deport refugees thousands of miles away, to defending the hostile environment, Rishi Sunak is a complete utter fraud," she said in a video with DDN media.
"This again shows the limitations of representation politics. Having black and brown people at the top does not mean that the lives of black and brown people in the UK and across the world will be better, in fact they have gotten worse."
She added: "The Tories are the party of the 1% and they will always do the bidding of the 1%."
Later, speaking with The Mirror, she commented: "Rishi Sunak has joked about having no working class friends and was caught on camera this summer boasting that he took money out of 'deprived urban areas'.
"So whilst I know the importance of identities being represented in politics, I'm under no illusions about whose interests this mega-wealthy Prime Minister represents: It's not our diverse working-class communities who are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, it's the super-rich class who bankrolled his leadership campaign and to which he and his billionaire family belong."
The issue has sparked tension within the Labour party, with Nadia Whittome, MP for Nottingham East, tweeting that Mr Sunak "isn't a win for Asian representation" - which she later deleted.
When BBC Newsnight asked MP Wes Streeting about her comment, the Shadow Health Secretary said it was appropriate for it to have been removed from the social media platform, adding: "There are children in my constituency that turned on the news to see someone like them about to become our country's Prime Minister... it says something wonderful about our country.
"Regardless of our political differences, that is something we should celebrate".
Columnist Sonia Sodha also summed up how the monumental moment is twofold, with the success in diversity tarnished by the Tory's policies and extraordinary wealth, she says.
The former senior adviser to Ed Miliband tweeted: "Both things can be true at once 1. It is significant Britain now has its first PM of Asian heritage (and on Diwali too), & embarrassing for Labour they've only had white male PMs.
"2. Sunak's politics are dreadful, his competence is over-rated, & he’s one of richest ever PMs".
While British-Bangladeshi sports journalist, Reshmin Chowdhury, took a more balanced stance. "Rishi Sunak becoming the first British Asian Prime Minister is hugely significant," she tweeted.
"He certainly doesn't represent me - nor much of the general public (whatever your background!). And let's not forget the democratic deficit. Yet still, it's massive to see a PM of colour in the UK".
What do you think of Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister? Please let us know in the comments.
