Former Indian cricketers Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, and Gurkeerat Mann have landed in hot water over an Instagram reel that allegedly mocked people with disabilities. The reel, in which the cricketers were seen limping to the beats of the viral song ‘Tauba-Tauba’ from actor Vicky Kaushal’s upcoming film ‘Bad Newzz,’ has prompted a police complaint against the former players.
Complaint filed against Yuvraj, Harbhajan and Raina
The cricketers showcased the physical toll of competing in the recent World Championship of Legends tournament through a short video reel. The clip even caught the attention of actor Vicky Kaushal, who responded with laughing emojis in the comments.
Indian para-badminton player, Manasi Joshi, slammed the cricketers for making fun of people with disabilities on social media. Facing backlash from Joshi, cricketer Harbhajan Singh promptly removed the controversial reel and posted an apology on his social media pages.
The ongoing controversy shows no signs of resolution, as Arman Ali, the executive director of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), has filed a complaint against the cricketers with the Station House Officer (SHO) at the Amar Colony police station.
Vice President and Managing Director of Meta India Sandhya Devanathan has been named in a complaint for violating the Information Technology Act, 2000. The complaint alleges that Devanathan allowed inappropriate content to be posted on the social media platform, in addition to the charges against the cricketers.
“The video shared openly breaches Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which upholds everyone’s fundamental right to a life of dignity. It also violates the standards established by the Supreme Court in the Nipun Malhotra v. Sony Pictures Films India Private Limited (2004 SCC Online SC 1639) case, as well as Section 92 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.” Ali told PTI.
“I request that the cricketers must be reprimanded for their actions,” Ali added.
