New Delhi: MBBS student Sejal Pawar, whose video from three months ago went viral on comedian Pranit More’s show, is facing a casteist attack on X.
Pawar, who was among the audience, commented on comparing the size of male cadavers’ genitalia. The 23-year-old’s comment sparked outrage, with people calling her remark “insensitive”. Even the All India Medical Students’ Association condemned Pawar’s remark, calling it “disrespectful portrayal of cadavers and body donors for entertainment or comedy”.
After this went viral, Pawar issued an apology, taking responsibility for her joke. “I am not here to justify what was said or explain it away. I take responsibility for it. Looking back, I can see how my words could be interpreted differently from what I meant!” she wrote.
However, even after issuing an apology, Pawar has been subjected to casteist trolls on X.
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‘Gems of reservation’
A few hours after the video went viral, some accounts on X leaked a screenshot of Pawar’s score attained in the entrance examination. According to the list, Pawar scored 406 in NEET under the Scheduled Tribe Category.
Soon after it was revealed that Pawar secured admission through the ST category, several accounts on X posted casteist remarks on her admission in KEM college.
An account, “Hydrogen”, with more than 20 thousand followers on X, wrote, “This is the reality of reservation. These shameless people don’t deserve a medical seat but still they get it because of that stupid system. Blood boils man.”
Another verified account, with more than five lakh followers on X, The Jaipur Dialogues, questioned Pawar’s identity as a Tribal.
The account added, “Does she look economically backward by any logic?. High time for reservation reforms in India.”
Pawars are found among Marathas, Mahar and the Koli Tribe in Maharashtra.
Parihar Himanshu Singh called Pawar, “Gems of Reservation”.
In his post, he further added, “Reservation in India is making people with this mentality your future Doctors”.
Pawar’s video went viral days after 22-year-old Himanshu Jangra’s controversial comment on comedian Pranit’s show was already being dissected and scrutinised on social media. Jangra shared intimate details of a date where he thought he had “bought” the consent of a woman by paying for her “Rs 370 chicken biryani”.
“Maine kaha 370 rupay lage hain, main wasool toh karunga.” The room laughed. More called it “Peak Gurgaon content.”
(Edited by Saptak Datta)