‘Shameful and unacceptable’: Assam CM on Raghav Juyal’s ‘racist’ remarks on reality show; artist clarifies

Team Udayavani, Nov 16, 2021, 2:27 PM IST

Dancer and TV anchor Raghav Juyal has been accused of making racist remarks while introducing a 6-year-old contestant of Assamese origin on dancing reality show Dance Deewane. A video clip of the same has gone viral on social media and several, including Assam chief minister, condemned Juyal for his remarks.

In the clip, Juyal makes remarks involving Momos and ‘Chow Mein’ before introducing the contestant named Gunjan Singh, who hails from Assam. In a Twitter post, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “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.”

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

Meanwhile, Juyal on Monday sought to clarify the ‘misunderstanding’ and said that the contestant would talk in ‘gibberish Chinese’ and he introduced the contestant ‘in her own way’ during the last few episodes. He further apologized for unintentionally hurting people’s sentiments. “It was nor mine neither channel’s motive to do hurt anyone,” he said while requesting netizens to watch the whole episode and the show before judging him over the brief clip.