Oct. 6: Mr Paul Henry, already under suspension over a race row involving the Indian-origin Governor General, has courted controversy again by deliberately mispronouncing the Delhi Chief Minister, Ms Sheila Dikshit’s, name in a video clip. The TVNZ channel that posted the controversial clip has received at least four complaints against it.
New Zealand Indian Central Association president, Mr Paul Singh Bains, said the fact that TVNZ was still promoting the clip on its website showed it had “totally lost the plot” and was insensitive to the offence Mr Henry had caused. In the clip, Mr Henry is shown ridiculing Ms Dikshit’s name, mispronouncing it deliberately.
The video — which now appears to have been removed — was promoted on the Video Extras section of TVNZ’s website under the heading “Paul Henry laughs about the name Dikshit.” The fresh controversy has come on the top of racial allegations that Mr Henry is already facing after he questioned the New Zealand Prime Minister, Mr John Key, on Indian-origin Governor General, Sir Anand Satyanand, asking him: “Is he even a New Zealander? Are we going to go for someone who is more like a New Zealander?”
Mr Bains said he accepted Ms Dikshit’s name and other Indian names could be difficult to pronounce, but Mr Henry reportedly went overboard to ridicule it. He said the fact that TVNZ left the clip on its website, shows it is insensitive to the offence.
Mr Henry was suspended on Tuesday until October 18, after the channel received a record 600 complaints against his comments on Sir Anand. “TVNZ have lost the plot. I honestly think the credibility of TVNZ is down the tubes through this,” Mr Bains said, as he demanded that Mr Henry be sacked.
“He should be sanctioned more than that. He should be eliminated from that spot. He should be sacked and given another role somewhere else,” Mr Bains said.
No comments:
Post a Comment