Bollywood Actor Richa Chaddha Faces Massive Backlash Over Tweet Purportedly Mocking The Indian Army

Bollywood actor Richa Chaddha received massive backlash on social media for using the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes in a sarcastic tweet while responding to the Indian Army on their preparedness to take back Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). 

She deleted that tweet and shared an apology statement.

On November 24, Northern Army Commander Lt General Upendra Dwivedi said that the Indian Army is ready to take back PoK. Richa tweeted this statement adding her quote that said, “Galwan says hi”.

In June 2020, Chinese PLA troops attacked Indian soldiers of the Bihar Regiment in the freezing terrain of the Galwan valley along the LAC in eastern Ladakh, killing 20 Indian soldiers. 

These soldiers fought in hand-to-hand combat with PLA troops  in sub-zero temperatures in the near pitch-black night of June 15 and June 16, 2020. It was the deadliest confrontation between the two countries in over four decades.

Dozens of Chinese forces died in the clash that lasted for hours, but China never disclosed the exact number of dead soldiers. India recognised the fallen martyrs and presented them with gallantry awards.

It isn’t the first time Chaddha has mocked the Indian Army. In 2012, she replied to a twitter user who was sharing his experience of visiting the Wagah border near Amritsar. 

“As far as jingoism is concerned, Wagah border has to be the greatest circus in the country. True that! (sic)," she posted. 

Chaddha’s Galwan tweet comes weeks before her film Fukrey 3 will reportedly hit the theatres. After the online counter-blast, she deleted the tweet and issued an apology that read as follows:

"Even though it can never be my intention in the least, if the 3 words which are being dragged into a controversy have offended or hurt anyone, I apologise and also say that it would sadden me if even unintentionally my words have triggered this feeling in my brothers in the fauj (army) of which my own Nanaji has been an illustrious part. As a Lieutenant Colonel, he took a bullet in the leg in the Indo-China war, in the 1960s. 

“My Mamaji was a paratrooper. It's in my blood. A whole family is affected when a son is martyred or even injured while saving the nation which is made up of people like us and I personally know how it feels. It is an emotive issue for me."

She has previously courted controversy ahead of her films’ release. Last year, she played the lead role in a movie called Madam Chief Minister, a story of a young Dalit woman who goes on to become chief minister of a state. 

The film’s poster showed her character holding a broom. Many netizens slammed it for reinforcing the negative stereotype linking ground-level public sanitation jobs with the Dalit community.

Many netizens found her comments in bad taste and called for boycotting all her movies. They also called for boycotting the brand ‘Mamaearth’ that she endorses, after the brand tried to rationalise her anti-army tweet.

After social media users questioned the cosmetic brand’s association with the actor, the brand tweeted, “Hey! Brand Mamaearth too does not support anyone mocking our Bravehearts. The words ‘Galwan says hi’ are not conclusive and we interpret as a recall of the upperhand Indian army had in such tough terrain and even being outnumbered at the standoff.” 

Even this tweet was deleted later.