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Ashneer Grover reacts after X user asks him to donate ₹900 crore over wife’s remarks: 'Chanda maangne ka tareeka...'
Madhuri Jain Grover said that children born into wealthy families would add to wealth, while those born into poor families would lead to greater poverty.
Ashneer Grover has reacted after an X user urged him to donate his estimated ₹900 crore wealth following controversial remarks made by his wife, Madhuri Jain Grover, about wealth and having children.
What did Madhuri say?
The controversy began after Madhuri, who is currently a contestant on Lock Upp 2, revealed a personal secret while trying to save herself from elimination. She said that she and Ashneer had once planned to have another child but eventually couldn't.
Her secret itself was not what irked the audience. Instead, it was her follow-up statement that triggered outrage online.
On the show, Madhuri said, "The third child keeps you younger. If you see all the rich people, including Shah Rukh Khan, they have a third child. This concept of 'Hum do humare do' doesn't apply to everyone. Jitne ameer log bacche paida karenge toh ameeri badhegi, gareeb log bacche paida karenge to gareebi badhegi. (The more rich people have children, the more wealth will increase; the more poor people have children, the more poverty will increase)."
The comments quickly sparked backlash online, with many social media users calling her remarks elitist and insensitive.
Amid the criticism, content creator Nalini Unagar tagged Ashneer Grover on X and suggested he donate his wealth if he believed poverty was linked to poor people having more children.
"Dear @Ashneer_Grover, Your wife recently made a statement that if poor people have more children, poverty increases. Please donate your ~ ₹900 crore wealth to 1,800 families, giving ₹50 lakh to each. Those 1,800 families could happily feed and raise their 3,200 children. Why are you keeping ₹900 crore for just two children? Solve the problem of poverty by donating all your wealth, then move to the Himalayas and become a monk. Also, tell your wealthy friends to do the same so that we can get rid of poverty very soon," Nalini Unagar wrote in the X post.
(Also Read: Ashneer Grover once shut down his pitch with ‘Tu baith jaa yar’. Now he’s headed to Y Combinator)
Ashneer Grover's response
Responding to the suggestion, Ashneer replied with a sarcastic one-liner in Hindi.
"Bheek / Chanda maangne ka tareeka thoda casual hai. Biwi ne gyaan de diya hai already - itne mein itna he milega (The way of begging / asking for alms is a bit casual! The wife has given some goof wisdom - for this much, this much is what you'll get)" Ashneer Grover wrote.
(Also Read: Step inside Ashneer Grover’s lavish Delhi home with movie room, bar and more)
Social media reacts to Madhuri's remarks
Meanwhile, Madhuri's comments continue to divide opinion online. One user wrote, "Shame on Madhuri Ashneer Grover. Her statement is elitism at its ugliest, reducing human beings to their bank balance and implying that dignity, family and the right to reproduce belong only to the rich."
Another commented, "Nepotism is very cruel."
"Madam, why is there economic inequality in the first place? Because the system is rigged in favour of the rich. FYI, the rich consume way more," wrote a third user.
However, some users defended her remarks, arguing that financial stability should matter while planning parenthood. "She is right. Parenthood should be qualified. You cannot bring someone into the world if you cannot take care of them," one user wrote.
"People are upset over what she said - but she is correct... Bitter truth is - Rich are able to give good education nutrition, safety and comfort to their kids. Poor are not. If being rich was so bad, countries would not be striving got increasing per-capita income/GDP. There is no novelty in poverty," said another.
