Amidst the ongoing threats of rape and violence directed at actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut over her comments regarding rapes during the farmers’ protest, YouTuber Akash Banerjee, known for his left-leaning commentary on his YouTube channel ‘DeshBhakt,’ resorted to sharing sexist remarks in his attacks on her.
His only claim to fame is peddling false narratives and disseminating fake news to his followers.
On August 28th, Banerjee, who was recently promoted by the US Embassy in India for their ‘Influence to Impact’ event, posted an old video on X showing Kangana Ranaut dancing at a party. However, instead of making a relevant critique, he revealed his misogynistic views by asking, “What is the name of the dance that #KanganaRanaut is performing?”
In another instance of his sexist outlook, The YouTuber shared a different old video of Kangana Ranaut from an advertising event, making a derogatory comment about the actress, who appeared to be in a playful mood in the clip.
He drew an inappropriate comparison between the BJP reprimanding Kangana for her remarks and getting ‘whipped,’ stating, “From being whipped for fun in parties, To being whipped seriously from her own Party. #KanganaRanaut has had an exciting journey.”
Rather than addressing the serious issue raised by Kangana, Banerjee and his ilk engage in character assassination strategy. It is a common tactic in the left-liberal ecosystem, where personal or irrelevant aspects of an individual’s life are used to discredit them. Sharing old videos of the BJP MP is a blatant attempt to diminish her as an individual and undermine her message.
As previously reported, Kangana has been receiving threats of violence and sexual assault. By mocking her and attacking her character, individuals like Banerjee are indirectly inciting the severe online harassment she is subjected to. Following Banerjee’s post, numerous social media users have shared the same videos accompanied by sexist remarks.
Ironically, the US Embassy in India chose Banerjee, who has demonstrated misogynistic behaviour, as a change-maker to teach Indian youth how to ‘harness the power of social media’ and become active citizens. Figures like Banerjee are more likely to promote misogyny as a tool against women who voice uncomfortable truths than to inspire meaningful change or active citizenship.
It is, however, not surprising that the YouTuber made sexist and derogatory comments targeting Kangana Ranaut, given that he previously trivialized the horrific experiences of rape victim Nirbhaya to make a political point against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.
In 2021, in an attempt to use ‘eminent intellectual’ Pratap Bhanu Mehta’s resignation as a means to criticize the Modi Government, Banerjee compared the event to the brutal rape of Nirbhaya, calling it academia’s ‘Nirbhaya moment.’ This comparison effectively downplayed the severity of Nirbhaya’s suffering.
Despite the backlash on social media for his remarks against Kangana, Banerjee unapologetically defended his posts, sarcastically claiming that he would seek coaching from the BJP IT Cell, Kangana, and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Singh on how not to be misogynistic and how to ensure women’s workplace safety. Cleverly, Banerjee diverted the issue into a debate between the BJP IT Cell and his supporters, ignoring the fact that it centers on the character assassination of a woman by her ideological opponents.
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