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Indian-origin politician slammed for sharing ‘racist’ meme showing opponent as lazy pothead
An individual protesting against Jenifer Rajkumar’s meme on her opponent said, “This feels desperate and racist.”
Indian-American lawyer Jenifer Rajkumar, who became the first South Asian woman to be elected to the New York State Assembly, recently found herself in the midst of a controversy after sharing a meme about her opponent. Public advocate candidate Jenifer Rajkumar shared a cartoon strip that shows her opponent, Jumaane Williams, passed out in bed.
“BREAKING: Our campaign woke up Jumaane Williams. He held a press conference at 11:55AM—his earliest appearance in recent memory. When we run, even the Public Absentee sets an alarm,” Rajkumar wrote while sharing the meme.
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The cartoon mimics the appearance of X posts. On one side, it shows Rajkumar going around the town and her packed schedule, which starts at 7 am. On the other side, it shows Williams sleeping on a bed with a text insert that says, “Maaaan, last batch edibles took me somewhere else.”
Opposition protests:
People were quick to accuse Rajkumar of being racist. According to the New York Post, one Dem political consultant said, “This feels desperate and racist.”
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“Why stereotype a Black man as nothing more than a pothead? Instead, New Yorkers would like to hear more about her record outside of press conferences and media events with the Mayor,” the individual added.
“I don’t know what to say about the village idiot who says nonsensical or racist things,” another said to the outlet, adding, “People and her colleagues will continue to do the same as we have been: ignore her.”
Jenifer Rajkumar’s spokesperson defends the post:
“The image used Jumaane’s own tweet and reflects what New Yorkers already know: His office is remote, unresponsive, and missing in action with no major accomplishments in 6 years,” Arvind Sooknanan told the outlet.
Rajkumar is a Stanford-educated lawyer and an immigrant rights advocate.
