A host of a popular Punjabi radio and TV show in Canada is facing intense criticism after he allegedly remarked last month that Indian women students in Canada were lazy and promiscuous.
Joginder Bassi, host of the Gaunda Punjab Radio said some Indian-international students get pregnant and they didn’t even know who the father of their child was. He made these remarks in response to a viewer’s call who complained about a large number of India students coming to Canada.
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The woman caller said the students coming from India were a huge problem and were causing trouble for their children.
“These girls, who are getting pregnant, they don’t even know who the father of their child is. This kind of stuff has started happening here,” Joginder Bassi said while responding to the caller.
He went on to call the women students from India home wreckers, saying they were just looking for husbands and causing divorces and ruining families.
Asking the government to curb the number of students coming to Canada, Bassi further went on to say that the students were taking advantage of the Sikh temples which offer free meals to anyone.
“It’s a big problem,” he said.
Bassi’s remarks on his TV show have caused an uproar among the Indian students in Canada with many calling for an investigation against him.
Students have also sought an apology from him for defaming Indian students and disrespecting Indian women.
Harjot Kaur Mannan, a 23-year-old student told Mannan called for scrapping Bassi’s show.
"When he says that on national TV, that means a lot because many people are watching him, many people are listening to him. And when he says that, that leaves a negative impact on everybody," she told CBC News.
"When he says that we're not paying our bills or finding a man just to get married, that is just wrong."
The backlash against Bassi has seen many students launching a campaign on social media, posting video messages and starting an online petition. Bassi did not comment on the controversy.
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