Won't stop posting content, be intimidated: Vir Das on receiving abuses
Mumbai: Actor-comedian Vir Das on Thursday said he won't be intimidated by online hate, but requested followers to avoid the "monsoon of abuses" coming his way from trolls by not reading the comments on his Twitter.
Das' remarks came a day after several comics, including Aadar Malik, Sahil Shah and Azeem Banatwalla, apologised for their years old and "out-of-context" videos and social media posts that have resurfaced online.
The comedians said they were sorry if they had offended or hurt anyone's religious sentiments and also requested that their families be spared of online vitriol.
Das posted a note on Twitter, saying he would continue to share stand-up content, but simply won't read comments on his page "for about four or five days".
"That's all. Like a few Indian comics right now, my comments section is a monsoon of abusive language. Avoidable. That doesn't mean I'm going to stop posting content or be intimidated in any way shape or form.
"But I'm just not reading them. And if I'm not reading them, and you're not reading them, the angries don't get the attention they crave. So enjoy the content, avoid the comments," the 41-year-old comic wrote.
Recently, several comics such as Das, Rohan Joshi and Kaneez Surka had alleged that their personal contact information and addresses were leaked online, which led to vicious trolling.
Das said he was overwhelmed with the love and support coming his way.
"I want to thank you for it. This isn't so bad, you should read some of my reviews. More content soon. Peace," the "Hasmukh" actor added.
Earlier this week, Twitter users dug out screenshots of jokes of some comics, including Varun Grover, Aditi Mittal, Abish Mathew, which they had cracked in the past.
These users claim that comedians used Hindu gods in their joke punchlines and started trending #HinduphobicComedyIndustry.
On Tuesday, private contact details of these comics were shared from an anonymous Twitter account. The account was later suspended.
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Surat LS candidate Nilesh Kumbhani whose nomination form was rejected suspended from Congress
Ahmedabad, Apr 25: The Gujarat Congress on Friday suspended from the party for six years its Surat Lok Sabha candidate Nilesh Kumbhani, whose nomination form was rejected over discrepancies leading to the BJP's Mukesh Dalal getting elected unopposed.
A statement from the Congress said the party's disciplinary committee decided to suspend Kumbhani after thorough discussion, adding it had come to the conclusion that the nomination form was rejected due to gross negligence on his part or "in connivance with the BJP".
"To be fair to you we have given time to you to explain your case but instead of coming before the party disciplinary committee you have gone incommunicado. After your form was rejected by the authorities, BJP went ahead and got form of other eight candidates withdrawn. This has deprived people of Surat their voting rights," the Congress disciplinary committee headed by Balu Patel said.
"People of Surat and party workers have become very angry due to your action and are expressing their anger in different ways. The Congress party has decided to suspend you for six years from the party," the press note said.
Kumbhani's nomination form was rejected on April 21 after his three proposers submitted affidavits to the district returning officer claiming the signatures on the document was not theirs.
The nomination form of Suresh Padsala, the Congress' substitute candidate from Surat, was also invalidated on the same grounds.
In his order, Returning Officer Sourabh Pardhi said the three nomination forms submitted by Kumbhani and Padsala were rejected after prima facie discrepancy was found in the signatures of the proposers and they did not appear to be genuine.
Kumbhani, a former corporator from Surat, had unsuccessfully fought the 2022 Assembly polls from Kamrej there.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's Mukesh Dalal was elected unopposed from Surat Lok Sabha constituency on April 22 after all other nominees, including one from BSP, withdrew from the fray one by one on the last day of withdrawing papers.
