Former Indian cricketers Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, and Suresh Raina are under immense backlash for allegedly mocking disabled people in a viral video.
The former cricketers were seen imitating disabled people in a video with a viral song ‘Taunbah Taubah’ playing in the background. The cricketers, however, have responded to the backlash and denied the accusation leveled against them on social media.
In response to the backlash, Harbhajan Singh issued a statement on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter), clarifying that there was no intention to offend anyone. He apologized, stating, “We didn’t want to hurt anyone’s sentiments. We respect every individual and community… still if people think we have done something wrong, all I can say from my side is SORRY to everyone… please let’s stop this here and move forward.”
Complaints against the cricketers have been filed in India by Arman Ali, the Executive Director of the National Center for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People.
The complaint has also been filed against Sandhya Devanathan, the Vice President and Managing Director of Meta India, for permitting the content on Instagram.
The activist has demanded strict action against the cricketers. The video is believed to be a violation of the Information Technology Act India 2000. According to Ali this video also violated Article 21 of the Indian Constitution which guarantees the right to life with dignity. It also breaches the Section 92 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. He also referred to the Supreme Court guidelines from the case of Nipun Malhotra.
Ali called on the authorities to quickly and properly punish those responsible, emphasizing the importance of holding people accountable, especially when it affects the dignity of vulnerable communities. He mentioned that just an apology from the cricketers wasn’t enough and that they should face consequences for their actions.