Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle earned brickbats on social media after he called SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, the ‘Chinese Coronavirus’. The Covid-19 virus originated in China, however, the Chinese Communist Party has taken strong objection to the association of virus with it.
Unfortunately, some have decided to call Harsha Bhogle a ‘Sanghi’ for calling it the Chinese virus, a name first popularized by former US President Donald Trump.
One user called him a ‘Sanghi Bhakt’ and expressed his disappointment with Bhogle.
Others were more polite in asking him not to use the term ‘Chinese virus’.
However, quite a few people were upset at Bhogle’s usage of the term.
It’s okay to refer COVID19 as Chinese virus but it’s offensive to say ‘Indian variant’.
— Imran Sekh (@isekh23) July 6, 2021
Keep your mid-life crisis apart and
Grow up @bhogleharsha https://t.co/kMmc9hwO6P
Some said that Harsha Bhogle sounded like Donald Trump.
One doesn’t expect something like this from such a respected voice. Most of the world calls it Covid-19 / Corona, why bring in a country. Sorry, but @bhogleharsha you sound like Donald Trump. https://t.co/SQ8P4NlXt5
— Harshal ? (@Harshal_de) July 6, 2021
He was also accused of being ‘xenophobic’ among other things.
Bhogle you are better than this, don’t be xenophobic https://t.co/kqtPqIriy7
— ع۔م (@indusperson) July 6, 2021
Nonetheless, by and large, people appreciated him for using the ‘correct’ name of the virus. However, they feared that he will soon delete the tweet.
Don’t delete sir nothing wrong in it tho https://t.co/zoOK2eBnIy
— Yash?? (@YashR066) July 6, 2021
No one show the guts of saying this
— Mr. A ? (@cricdrugs) July 6, 2021
Respect https://t.co/rHxg57pjVR
Powerful tweet indeed sire. Please, don’t delete it afterwards. https://t.co/XzOdxIzRUc
— Narendra Choudhary (@MarwariJat) July 6, 2021
Hope he does not delete the tweet. https://t.co/Ctp2oTuzqN
— The Data Guy (@DataGuyRedux) July 6, 2021
Harsha Bhogle, however, defended himself saying, “I noticed the use of the South African variant, the Brazil variant and the Indian variant. I guess it is the norm to refer to something by the country of origin.”
There has been great debate about the origins of the novel Coronavirus that causes Covid-19. It is suspected, and believed by many, that the virus leaked out of a lab in Wuhan and was created by scientists there. China, obviously, denies such claims and accuses of racism those who point towards its links to the virus.
