Sajid Javid, the chancellor of the Exchequer in the Conservative government, called the decision “ridiculous,” while Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, said that the company “must explain this astonishing decision.”

In an open letter that was published in The Guardian last week, a self-described group of broadcasters and journalists of color demanded that the decision be overturned, and urged the company to support its journalists “and acknowledge there can be no expectation of ‘impartiality’ over expressions and experiences of racism.”

Before Mr. Hall's decision was made public, Seema Malhotra, a Labour member of Parliament, wrote a letter to him that was signed by more than 100 lawmakers.

“It is of particular concern that this decision has been reached when we are facing a rise in hate crime,” the letter said.

A petition asking the BBC to apologize for the company’s decision was also started on Monday.

Mr. Hall said that the impartiality of BBC journalism was fundamental, but, he added, “Racism is racism, and the BBC is not impartial on the topic.”

Ms. Munchetty was not available for comment.

The Guardian reported on Monday that the original complaint had been directed at Ms. Munchetty and her co-host, Mr. Walker, before being scaled back to focus solely on her, adding to the concerns among some critics that she had been a victim of double standards.