Following a police case getting filed against Yuvraj Singh by a Dalit rights activist in Haryana, the former India batsman has spoken up about the matter, expressing his regret for the comment.
Taking to Twitter, Singh wrote, "This is to clarify that I have never believed in any kind of disparity, be it on the basis of caste, colour, creed or gender. I have given and continue to spend my life for the welfare of people," Yuvraj wrote on Twitter.
"I believe in the dignity of life and respect each individual without exception."
Singh also tried to clarify that the comment held no malice and their banter was misunderstood, "I understand that while I was having a conversation with my friends, I was misunderstood, which was unwarranted. However, as a responsible Indian I want to say that if I have unintentionally hurt anybody’s sentiments or feelings, I would like to express regret for the same."
— yuvraj singh (@YUVSTRONG12) June 5, 2020
"My love for India and all its people is eternal."
Underscoring once again that social media never forgets, the offending comment came a month ago, during an otherwise casual live chat Singh was enjoying with fellow India player Rohit Sharma. When the topic of Yuzvendra Chahal's obsession with TikTok videos came up, Singh referred to him as 'bhangi', a casteist slur. Both men laughed about it but the fact that Sharma didn't speak up about the usage of the word was also a bone of contention for many.
Yuvraj said 'bhangi' to chahal in live with rohit sharma
— naman❤✌ (@iamns3010) June 1, 2020
The word Yuvraj used for chahal was wrong.
So people trend #युवराज_सिंह_माफी_मांगोpic.twitter.com/Qxi8Y7q8HQ
While the initial backlash was mostly by social media users, with some using the hashtag #YuvrajSinghApologise, the matter took a serious turn this week when one of the activists, Rajat Kalsan, also an advocate, filed a police complaint against Singh in Hisar, Haryana.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / STR
