'Shameful & Unacceptable': Assam CM Himanta Biswa Condemns Racist Comments In Reality Show Dance Deewane 3, Host Raghav Juyal Issues Clarification

After the clip went viral, Raghav issued a statement of his clarification and also apologised for hurting sentiments after the backlash.

(Photo: Instagram)

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday strongly reacted to the viral video of dance reality show host Raghav Juyal using a ‘racist rhetoric’ against an Assamese contestant calling it ‘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 shared in a tweet.

Earlier, a video featuring Dance Deewane 3 host Raghav Juyal has invited criticism from all quarters for being racist and cringe-inducing. The video has the host introducing a contestant from the state on the show with a monologue featuring words such as “momo”, “ching chong” and “gibberish Chinese”. 

After the clip went viral, Raghav issued a statement of his clarification and also apologised for hurting sentiments after the backlash.

On Monday night, Raghav Juyal 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.
Raghav further apologised to people in case he hurt people, stating that it was unintentional. He also urged everyone to see the entire show to get an understanding on his bond with Gunjan, and the intention behind the joke. In the video posted on his social media page, Juyal said people should see the bigger picture to understand the context of his interaction with the contestant, Gunjan Sinha. He said it’s important people understand the situation as being called a racist is affecting his mental health. Sharing that he has family and friends in the North-East, Raghav said that he not only respects people from the region but has also stood up for them.