Itanagar: Social media influencer Elvish Yadav was in the line of fire for his racial comments on ‘Bigg Boss 18’ contestant Chum Darang.
As angry netizens demanded an apology from Elvish, the latter disagreed stating that he has been misunderstood.
Now, the Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Women (APSCW) has appealed to the National Commission for Women (NCW) to take action against Elvish for his unpleasant racial comments on Chum.
In the letter addressed to the NCW Chairperson, APSCW Chairperson Kenjum Pakam stated that Elvish’s remarks on Chum on his podcast were offensive and tarnished the dignity of Northeast women.
She stressed that such derogatory statements “create a sense of fear and intimidation among women from the region, especially those aspiring to make a mark in Bollywood.”
The APSCW Chairperson appealed to the NCW to ensure justice for Chum Darang and the Northeastern community by taking suo moto cognizance of the issue.
For those who are unaware, during a conversation with Rajat Dalal on his podcast, Elvish made fun of Chum’s name and her casting in Bollywood film ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi.’
“Karanveer ko pakka COVID tha kyunki Chum kisko pasand aati hai bhai, itna taste kiska kharab hota hai! Aur Chum ke toh naam mein hi ashleelta hai… Naam Chum aur kaam Gangubai Kathiawadi mein kiya hai (Karanveer must have definitely had COVID because who would like Chum, bro? Who has such bad taste! And even Chum’s name itself is vulgar… Her name is Chum, and she worked in Gangubai Kathiawadi),” Elvish said.
Lashing out at Elvish for his racist comments, Chum wrote on her Instagram handle, “Disrespecting someone’s identity and name is not ‘fun.’ Mocking someone’s achievements is not ‘banter.’ It’s time we draw the line between humour and hate.”
“What’s even more disappointing is that this wasn’t just about my ethnicity. My hard work and a film backed by a visionary like Sanjay Leela Bhansali were also disrespected,” she added.
