By Rahael Mathew

Twitter and other social media is being bombarded with the hashtag ‘Arrest Randeep Hooda’. Netizens released an old video of the actor making a sexist joke against former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati. This comment was hurtful to women all around the world not including the victim of this sexist slur. The actor was blasted by tweeters who demanded that he apologize for his remarks. 

In the video Randeep Hooda, said, “There Ms. Mayawati was walking along the street with two kids, two boys. And there was a man, like our man here, he asked her are they twins? She said no no, he is four, he is eight. He says, “I can’t believe someone has been there twice.” 

The video was from an Media House event in 2012. It shows Randeep Hooda cracking the joke and sadly the audience at the time laughing at this derogatory comment. 

The casteist and sexist statement not only irked many Indians, but also reached the ears of the United Nations Secretariat. Actor Randeep Hooda who was the ambassador of the Convention for Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals for three years, faced repercussions for his sexist joke.  The United Nations Secretary stated, “The organisation finds the comments in the video to be “offensive” and Randeep Hooda will no longer serve as the ambassador.” 

Such sexist comments on Dalit woman, or any woman for that matter is never a gentleman’s thing to do. There is always a thin line between commenting on a woman and making a sexist slur. Netizens are calling for the actor to be arrested and detained. Such an action, would definitely send a warning to all those who choose to form jokes around a woman, her sexuality or even her personna. 

While there is still no comment from authorities or the actor himself. The sheer volume of tweets and disapproval of such behaviour is sure to incite some action.