Congress leader and boxer Vijender Singh created quite the stir on Sunday with a comment on Twitter. When a fan jocularly asked for his help in getting married, he replied accordingly which has attracted a lot of criticism on social media.
Vijender Singh initially made a comment on the Covid-19 pandemic situation across the country, blaming the central government for the current crisis. To that, a fan commented, “Viju brother, help me get married.”
Singh’s response has been interpreted by many as him saying that now is the ‘era of prostitutes’. The comment has sparked an outrage on social media, with people calling him out for his apparent abusive language.
I'm extremely sorry. I also belong to Haryana and I am a Jaat as well. But this person doesn't represent us. Shameful and disgusting you are @boxervijender !!! pic.twitter.com/SWGwMq461n
— Neha Beniwal (@NehaBeniwal18) May 16, 2021
This guy is giving example of @RahulGandhi https://t.co/iymqJwGiks
— Akbk (@Akbk28815586) May 16, 2021
Fact Check
While the word used by the Congress leader might read like the derogatory word for prostitutes, in chaste Haryannvi, it actually means ‘bachelor’. Thus, Singh’s response to the request to arrange the fan’s marriage was not ‘this is the era of prostitutes’ but ‘this is the era of bachelorhood’.
The same was pointed out by people familiar with the Haryannvi language on Twitter.
Word sounds offensive but it's not. It's a ठेठ haryanvi language word for unmarried middle aged men. Eg. RaGa.
— THE SKIN DOCTOR (@theskindoctor13) May 16, 2021
Upar comment h viju bhai shaadi krwa do, he replied bachelor ka jamana h. Idk why people are making issue out of this.🤡 https://t.co/hlvMjop1FO
— Mamta♡ (@vilayatisharab) May 16, 2021
The confusion appears to have been caused by the medium of communication where it is very easy to misinterpret someone when one tweets in a local language. On this instance at least, Vijender Singh did not use derogatory language for women.
