A petition to ban US presidential candidate Donald Trump from the United Kingdom over his allegedly anti-Muslim rhetoric has gained over 26,500 signatures in just a few hours by Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)�� The petition, launched Tuesday, has 26,674 signatures and needs a total of�100,000 to�be considered by�the UK parliament. The government has to�respond to�action since�it gained more than�10,000 signatures.
"The signatories believe Donald J Trump should be banned from�UK entry. The UK has banned entry to�many individuals for�hate speech. The same principles should apply to�everyone who wishes to�enter the UK," the petition reads.
"If the United Kingdom is to�continue applying the 'unacceptable behaviour' criteria to�those who wish to�enter its borders, it must be fairly applied to�the rich as�well as�poor, and the weak as�well as�powerful."

Trump has made numerous controversial statements about�Muslims during�his presidential campaign.

On Monday, the presidential hopeful urged the United States to�stop the arrivals of�all Muslims until�a counterterrorism plan was established. The comments stirred up�widespread condemnation.

Thousands of�people in�the United Kingdom have signed a petition calling on�Robert Gordon University (RGU) in�Aberdeen, Scotland, to�strip Trump of�his honorary degree after�he made the inflammatory comments.

By Sputnik