Vikrant Massey apologises for 2018 tweet on Kathua gangrape: ‘Didn’t want to disrespect Hindu community’

Actor Vikrant Massey issued an apology on social media on Wednesday for his now-deleted tweet from 2018, in which he shared an editorial cartoon featuring Lord Rama and Sita, reacting to the gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua. In his apology note, Vikrant wrote that his intention was never to “hurt, malign or disrespect the Hindu community.”

In the cartoon shared by Vikrant on X (then Twitter), Lord Rama and Sita are sitting with her holding a newspaper in her hands, the headlines of which read, “Child raped in temple,” “Minor raped by BJP MLA” and “Yogi protects rape accused.” Sita is seen saying to Lord Rama, “I am so glad I was kidnapped by Ravan and not by your bhakts.”

Vikrant had captioned the post, “Half baked potatoes and half baked nationalists will only cause a pain in the gut. #KathuaCasr #Unnao #Shame.”

Issuing an apology on Wednesday, Vikrant wrote, “But as I reflect in hindsight about a Tweet made in jest, I also release the distasteful nature of it. The same could have been said without adding the cartoon which was published in a newspaper. And I’d with utmost humility like to apologise to each and everyone who has been hurt.”

“As you all by now know, that I hold all faiths, beliefs and religions with the highest possible regard. We all grow up with time and reflect upon our mistakes. This was mine,” he added.

This 2018 tweet started trending after Vikrant’s interview on Unfiltered by Samdish, in which he talked about the diversity of his home. Vikrant’s mother is a Sikh, father is a church-going Christian while his brother, Moeen, converted to Islam at the age of 17. “My brother’s name is Moeen, I am called Vikrant. You’d wonder why the name Moeen? He converted to Islam. My family let him change his religion. They said, ‘Beta, if you find satisfaction in this, then go ahead.’ He converted at the age of 17, it is a big step. My mother is Sikhni, my father is a church-going Christian, he goes to church twice a week. From a young age, I have seen a lot of arguments related to religion and spirituality,” he said in the interview.

The actor recently won the Filmfare Award for his performance in Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 12th Fail.