Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma condemns racists comments on 6-year-old contestant in dance reality show

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday condemned the viral video of a dance reality show host using a “racist rhetoric” against an Assamese contestant and said it was “shameful” and “totally unacceptable.”

“It has come to my notice that a popular reality show host has used racist rhetoric against a young participant from Guwahati. This is shameful and totally unacceptable. Racism has no place in our country and we should all condemn it unequivocally,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a tweet.

It has come to my notice that a popular reality show host has used racist rhetoric against a young participant from Guwahati. This is shameful and totally unacceptable. Racism has no place in our country and we should all condem it unequivocally.

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) November 16, 2021

The viral clip featured host of the popular dance reality show ‘Dance Deewane 3’ , Raghav Juyal mocking a 6-year-old Assamese contestant named Gunjan Sinha with inane “Chinese” mimicry and making remarks involving Momos and ‘Chow Mein’ before introducing her.

Watch Video Here:

Racism!@TheRaghav_Juyal introducing Gunjan Sinha of Assam in #DanceDeewane3 of @ColorsTV with “Momo”, “Chinese” and celebs like @remodsouza, @MadhuriDixit have no objection in it.
People of Assam is not Chinese, yet such shows always do racism comments.
When will it stop? pic.twitter.com/cOTA8s8nvy

— Ron Bikash Gaurav (@RonBikashGaurav) November 15, 2021

After the clip went viral, Raghav Juyal on Monday issued a statement to “clarify the misunderstanding”. The TV show host defended himself by saying that it was not racism on his part but something that the contestant had said earlier that led to the joke.

Juyal said that once the contestant had said she can speak in Chinese, which turned out to be gibberish, and since then, it had become an ongoing joke on the show.

The clip had been doing rounds on social media with many users lashing out at the host along with judges of the show, Remo D’souza and Madhuri Dixit Nene and demanding action against them.

Published on: Tuesday, November 16, 2021, 01:23 PM IST