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The Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland has been branded “bonkers” after accusing the leaders of two Scottish political parties of being racist.

Dundee-based the Rev David Robertson apologised to the president of Ghana for the “rudeness and discourtesy” of several MSPs during his visit to Holyrood last week which was caught up in a row over gay rights.

Politicians including Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson and Scottish Greens co-convener Patrick Harvie refused to applaud President John Dramani Mahama at the Scottish Parliament because of the African nation’s much criticised anti-LGBT policies.

Singling out openly gay Ms Davidson, Mr Robertson said: “In my view her actions, along with those of Patrick Harvie and some other MSPs, were rude, childish, hypocritical and indeed came with more than an alarming tinge of racism, that comes from the moral superiority of the white liberal elites, who just know that they are at the top of the progressive evolutionary tree.

“Ms Davidson belongs to and supports a party which gave a state welcome to the Chinese leader, whose policies on LGBT issues are not that much different from Ghana. For example the Chinese only this year banned images of homosexual couples in the Chinese media.”

He also claimed the actions had actually backfired in Africa, with one LGBT campaigner apparently stating Ghana did not need “a white saviour complex”.

A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: “This is a ludicrous intervention from someone who you’d think would know better.

“The idea that Ruth, and indeed Patrick Harvie, are racist is a bonkers conclusion.”

Mr Harvie declined to comment.

Responding to calls from opposition leaders last week, a Scottish Government spokeswoman said First Minister Nicola Sturgeon would “share her strong view that the Commonwealth values of humanity, equality and tolerance are universal values” during Mr Mahama’s visit.