Anushka Sharma calls for ‘strictest punishment’ for perpetrators of racism and hatred amid Covid-19 crisis

Actor Anushka Sharma has called for ‘strictest punishment’ for those spreading racism and hatred during the coronavirus pandemic.

Actor Anushka Sharma has condemned incidents of racism against people of northeastern states, during the coronavirus pandemic. She took to social media on Tuesday to condemn such acts and called for strict punishment against the perpetrators.

Anushka Sharma at the Red Carpet of Femina Beauty Awards in Mumbai. (IANS)

She wrote, “Racism and Hatred needs to be met with strictest punishment! A few miscreants cannot create divide among Indians.” Anushka was reacting to a news report about a Manipuri woman being spat on in Mumbai.

Earlier actor Meiyang Chang, who is of Chinese descent, had also spoken about a similar incident, in which he was at the receiving end of a racially motivated verbal attack. Recalling the incident, Chang had told The Times of India in an interview, “I go for a jog every day near my house in Mumbai. The other day, two guys sped past me on a bike, screaming ‘corona’ and laughing. I wanted to scream back and hurl the choicest of gaalis, but I didn’t see any point in it. How do you punish people for their stupidity or ignorance? Over the years, I have become used to these comments and yes, they are hurtful. I try to move on and be optimistic, but it does affect you.” Chang later recorded a video message condemning racism.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has also warned of strict action against those spreading communally divisive messages amid reports that several such videos have been doing the rounds on WhatsApp, TikTok and Twitter. “Like Covid-19 virus, there is a communal virus too. I am warning those who are spreading wrong messages to citizens and uploading such videos even for the sake of fun. This Covid-19 virus sees no religion,” he said in a Facebook live interaction.

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