Elvish Yadav, the winner of Bigg Boss OTT 2, found himself at the center of controversy after videos surfaced on social media showing him sharing light moments with comedian Munawar Faruqui during the Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) cricket match in Mumbai. The interaction led to accusations of being labeled as anti-Hindu by netizens. Elvish, however, has now responded to the criticism, raising questions about similar interactions involving prominent figures like Sachin Tendulkar and Akshay Kumar.
The incident occurred during the ISPL match where Elvish played for Sachin Tendulkar's Masters 11 team, while Munawar was a part of Akshay Kumar's Khiladi XI team. Elvish took to his social media handle on Friday to address the backlash, emphasizing that he doesn't need to prove his religious inclinations to anyone and condemning those who trolled and abused him.
Challenging the accusations, Elvish questioned, "Munawar got a picture clicked with Sachin Tendulkar. He was a part of Akshay Kumar's team. So by your logic, both of them are also anti-Hindus?" He clarified that the playful banter and sarcastic hug with Munawar after taking his wicket should not be misconstrued as anti-Hindu sentiments. Elvish expressed that he does not feel the need to prove his religion to nameless and faceless trolls.
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Addressing the online hate, Elvish stated, "I am not here to prove my religion or give a certificate to nameless and faceless trolls. If you want to call me names, go ahead, I don't care. I will be happy if your followers go up at my expense and you earn some more money." He further asserted that he is willing to accept a drop in his follower count but will not associate himself with those who resort to abusing others.
Earlier, amid the backlash, Elvish had urged people to move forward with love and peace, emphasizing the importance of not dwelling on others' mistakes. In response, Munawar Faruqui conveyed his support with a heart emoticon.
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