Akshay Kumar Trolled for “Glorifying” Manual Scavenging on Twitter
Twitterati were not happy when Akshay Kumar saluted manual scavengers for “serving the country in their own way”.
.jpg?rect=0%2C0%2C1920%2C1080)
Bollywood star Akshay Kumar became the subject of online trolling after he posted a tweet on manual scavenging on Thursday morning. In the tweet, Akshay referred to manual scavengers as the ‘Cleaning Soldiers of India’. It was later deleted from his handle.
An Illegal Practice
Twitter users were quick to point out that manual scavenging is an illegal practice in India, not to mention a deplorable one.
A Practice Based on Caste
Caste-discrimination and manual scavenging go hand-in-hand, as certain castes are relegated to the job and are not given a way out.
All Lives Matter!
Questioning Akshay’s unawareness, Twitter users also highlighted the inhuman aspect of manual scavenging as well as the problem in referring to the workers as ‘soldiers’.
Is This Patriotism?
People did not shy away from criticising Akshay’s ‘patriotism’. Some even went as far as to point out his Canadian citizenship.
Then Came the Damage Control
Akshay was quick to respond to the trolls and attempted to do some damage control.
Do you think Akshay’s glorification of manual scavenging is justified? Should celebrities be more aware of the law before they make such comments? Tell us what you think in the comments.
(Breathe In, Breathe Out: Are you finding it tough to breathe polluted air? Join hands with FIT in partnership with #MyRightToBreathe to find a solution to pollution. Send in your suggestions to fit@thequint.com or WhatsApp @ +919999008335)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)