Cllr Nadim Muslim, who became leader of the borough’s Conservative Group in April this year, shared the comment in a WhatsApp group called “Conservative Friends and Supporters.
The message shows an image of national Tory leader Kemi Badenoch holding a pistol and speaking with soldiers at a barracks with the caption “your target is Kier (sic) Starmer ma’am.”
When asked to explain the message, Cllr Muslim said: “It was forwarded as a joke. Nothing more than that.”
He added: “I forwarded the post as I saw it as it was intended, humour.
“I have taken the post down.”
In the wake of Cllr Muslim’s comments about Keir Starmer, Bolton Labour leader Cllr Nick Peel branded the comments “disgusting.”
He has now called for his Conservative counterpart to step down or for the national party leadership to take action.
Cllr Peel said: “For him to say it’s just a joke shows how he does not understand how offensive this is in the light of murders and physical attacks on MPs of all parties.
“He clearly should step down as local Tory leader immediately and the Conservative Party needs to state whether they agree that this is an acceptable joke, and if not, they need to take appropriate action.”
He added: “Why would somebody who claims to have received death threats think its funny to joke about shooting another politician?”
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Cllr Muslim, of Bromley Cross has been in post for just over two months and just weeks ago was at the centre of heated debates at town hall.
During a debate on a motion calling on Bolton Council to recognise the actions of the Israel in Gaza as genocide, he said he was “getting very, very sick” of what he called “sectarian motions.”
Cllr Muslim said that he and other councillors had received “death threats” after abstaining on a previous motion calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
But his comments sparked a significant backlash in the council chamber from other parties and independents.
