A man on ‘X’, formerly Twitter, is under fire from the internet for disparaging a woman’s dance performance at a college, likening it to ‘kotha’ (a term associated with brothels). Prateek Aryan is facing severe criticism for not only sharing the video without the woman dancer’s consent but also for making derogatory comments about her. Despite repeated requests from the woman, Shruti Parija, to remove the video, Aryan adamantly refused, forcing Shruti to seek assistance from the police.
The controversy erupted when Aryan shared one of Shruti’s dance videos from a college event and commented, “Indian schools and colleges are well known for organizing “Sanskritik karyakram” and performances based traditional and regional culture, but now it has become a “kotha.” In the name of cultural events, shaking booty on item songs is all they call a cultural program. Along with the education system, the cultural system is in danger in India. What a downfall for this generation and colleges in India.”
The post, published on February 13, quickly went viral, with widespread condemnation of Aryan’s disparaging remarks about someone’s artistic expression.
Two days later, Shruti revealed herself as the woman in the video, which had garnered over 25 lakh views, and asserted that the video was reposted without her consent.
“Please take it down,” she pleaded, clarifying that she was not a student at the college but a professional performer.
Also Read: ‘Indian Athlete at 23’: Prithvi Shaw Bodyshamed After Slamming 200, Fans Come to Rescue
“You have a right to voice what is right and what is not but not to the extent of defaming me, who is not even associated with the college,” Shruti emphasised.
In response, Aryan maintained that his comments were directed at Indian schools and colleges in general and not specifically at Shruti.
“I spoke about Indian schools and colleges, explicitly stating that I haven’t said anything about you. I haven’t slut-shamed you (as you alleged) in any way. In the second line, I mentioned that under the guise of a cultural program, there is dancing to item songs, so that’s clear I’m not mentioning you anywhere. My intention was not to cause you any harm. I’ve shared my general opinion on the college system posting your video. Please read the original tweet statement once again and consider if I’ve said anything wrong about you,” he asserted.
Subsequently, he accused Shruti and her friend of resorting to “violent speech, threatened legal action, and mentioned putting him behind bars,” he declared.
Shruti, however, remained firm in her stance, tagging Mumbai Police’s ‘X’ handle and stating that despite her numerous requests, Aaryan had “refused” to take down the video.
Also Read: On Live TV, Reporter Claps Back At Troll Who Sent Her Body-Shaming Email
“After endless requests made to Prateek Aaryan to take my video down from his post where he is comparing the stage I’m dancing on as a kotha, in turn defaming me and damaging my reputation, he has refused to do so and has blackmailed me instead,” she detailed. The police responded to her post and requested her contact details to discuss the matter further.
Meanwhile, Shruti provided an update on Sunday, February 18, revealing that the video had become invisible due to a copyright claim, though some may still have access to it. However, a legal update from her end is still pending.
Comments
0 comment