Hardik Pandya issues statement on BR Ambedkar tweet controversy

A Jodhpur court had directed police to file an FIR against Hardik Pandya after a petition had been filed against the Indian cricketer over a tweet on BR Ambedkar. It later turned out that the tweet had been posted by a parody account

cricket Updated: Mar 23, 2018 12:28 IST
Hardik Pandya had landed in a controversy after a parody account had posted a tweet against BR Ambedkar.
Hardik Pandya had landed in a controversy after a parody account had posted a tweet against BR Ambedkar.(AFP)

A day after a SC/ST court in Rajasthan ordered police to register an FIR against Indian cricket star Hardik Pandya over allegations of him disrespecting Dr BR Ambedkar, the all-rounder took to Twitter to defend himself, clarifying that the tweet was posted from a fake account in order to tarnish his reputation.

Pandya, who will represent Mumbai Indians in the upcoming edition of the IPL, stated: “There have been multiple misleading reports and articles being circulated in the media today, wherein it is being alleged that I had posted a tweet which was derogatory and insulting to the late Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. I would like to take this opportunity to clarify that no such tweet and/or statement, whether on twitter or any other form of media, has been issued by me. The tweet in question was posted by a fake account using my name and display image. I use only my verified twitter handle to make official communications via twitter and the said tweet was posted by a spurious account, pretending to be me.”

“I have the utmost respect for Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the Indian Constitution and the many communities that call India their home and I would not indulge in making any kind of statement which is derogatory and/or which insults the sentiments of any community. I use social media to interact with my fans and I believe that in this age of social media one must be vigilant of misinformation and act responsibly,” Pandya stated. “I will also be making the necessary submissions in the Hon’ble Court in order to establish that the said tweet cannot be attributed to me in any manner whatsoever and to further highlight the issue that the said tweet was posted by an imposter posing as me in order to tarnish my reputation, which is a menace faced by many well-known personalities across India today.”

Pandya’s verified account has the handle @hardikpandya7 whereas the tweet was posted from an account with a handle @sirhardik3777. The petition was filed by DR Meghwal, a lawyer himself, who had alleged that Pandya had insulted certain sections of the society.

According to The Indian Express, a screenshot of the tweet was posted on one of the WhatsApp groups of which Meghwal is a member. He had approached Luni police station and the Jodhpur police commissioner but both turned him down, following which he approached the court.