After a JNU student-activist Sheila Rashid posted about BJP MPs involvement in ‘sex rackets and child trafficking gangs’ and shared a related link, singer Abhijeet remarked, “There is rumour she took money for two hours and didn’t satisfy the client… big racket.”
Arundhati Roy and many JNU students vehemently opposed the remarks of the singer, and his Twitter account was taken down. However, Abhijeet has been getting support from Paresh Rawal and Sonu Nigam on Twitter. Paresh commented, “Instead of tying stone pelter on the army jeep tie Arundhati Roy!”, Sonu Nigam left twitter over the controversy.
Sonu tweeted, Accepted Arundhati has d right to her opinion about Kashmir, but then the other billion Indians have the right to feel Let Down too right? “If His account is deleted, why not Her? And the other Morons who hurl Mother Sister abuses to every Achiever?”
This is not the first time Abhijeet has invited trouble. He was even arrested over abusing journalist and writer Swati Chaturvedi on Twitter in august 2016. He also attacked Karan Johar on Twitter last year for being gay. All of the controversies have been about his self-acclaimed ‘nationalism’ and ‘patriotic feelings’.
Last year, AAP spokesperson, Preeti Sharma Menon registered a complaint against the singer, which led him to be arrested and later released on bail. “The cyber crime hasn’t done much since then,” says Preeti. Abhijeet was booked under Section 500, 509 of IPC and 67 of IT Act.
“What happened with Abhijeet’s Twitter account was long overdue. In fact, I was one of the people who helped deactivate it by reporting abuse on his tweets. The problem is that, his Twitter handle getting deactivated does not really mean anything in the long run unless some stricter action is taken,” says filmmaker Karan Anshuman.
“In most democracies abroad,” points Karan, “Saying the kinds of things that he, and Paresh Rawal for that matter, have said, would have resulted in getting debarred from committees and alienation at least and some legal action as well, when it goes to the extent that it has with Abhijeet.”
Early on May 24, singer Shaan and also Abhijeet and Sonu Nigam’s contemporary Shaan, tweeted: “We understand the frustration and hopelessness that You feel.. bhai I can only urge and request you to stay and spread the Love @sonunigam.”
