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Richa Chadha’s Galwan tweet row becomes bigger

Richa Chadha’s tweet regarding the Indian army has received massive backlash, with many abusing the actor over it.

Written by : TNM Staff

The controversy surrounding actor Richa Chadha’s tweet about the Indian Army has snowballed, with Twitter users now calling for the boycott of a skincare brand for supporting the actor’s tweet. The brand, Mama Earth, said in a tweet that Richa’s statement could be interpreted as a sign of the army’s strength in Galwan Valley. 

Richa has been facing flak for her tweet, which was in response to Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi's statement that the army is “fully ready to take back Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) from Pakistan”. “Galwan says hi,” the actor replied, referring to the 2020 Galwan Valley clash with Chinese troops. 

Richa’s tweet has received massive backlash, with many abusing the actor over it. Bollywood actors also reacted negatively to the tweet, with Akshay Kumar saying, “Hurts to see this. Nothing ever should make us ungrateful towards our armed forces.” However, a section of social media users have slammed Akshay for his response, accusing him of directing trolls towards Richa’s account. 

A user named Akshat Singh tagged Mama Earth on the tweet, as the actor has been seen posting its products on social media. To this, Mama Earth replied, “Brand Mama Earth too does not support anyone mocking our Bravehearts. The words 'Galwan says hi' are not conclusive and we interpret this as a recall of the upperhand Indian army had in such tough terrain and even being outnumbered at the standoff.”

Hours later, Richa deleted the tweet and issued an apology. “Even though it was never my intention in the least, if the three words which are being dragged into a controversy have offended or hurt anyone, I apologise,” she wrote. She also referenced her late grandfather, Lieutenant Colonel Dharamveer Prasad, who fought in the Indo-China war in the 1960s. “A whole family is affected when their 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,”  she said, adding, “It’s in my blood.”

Meanwhile, filmmaker Ashoke Pandit has filed a complaint with the Mumbai police, seeking action against Richa for the tweet. He told reporters, “Just because you are a celebrity, you cannot mock the soldiers, we are alive because of them. They protect the nation. You can’t make fun of them.”