Veteran actor Rakesh Bedi, who is receiving praise for his role in Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar: The Revenge, issued a public apology after facing backlash for using the word 'Harijan' in an interview a few months ago while speaking about social reformer BR Ambedkar.
The controversy surfaced after Azad Samaj Party's Mumbai State President Kailash Jaiswar shared a video and criticised the actor for using a term that is considered inappropriate and whose official use has been prohibited in India. Jaiswar revealed that he had spoken directly with Bedi and urged him to issue a public apology to the community.
Soon after, a video of the actor apologising surfaced on social media. In the clip, Bedi explained that he had used the term unknowingly and said he did not intend to hurt anyone.
The actor said, "Namaskar friends, I am Rakesh Bedi. A few months ago, I posted a video in which I said that in our country, Bheem Rao Ambedkar ji worked a lot for Dalits, for Harijans and for people of backward society. He worked very hard for their upliftment. So now I have come to know that it is prohibited to use the word Harijan in our country. And I said it with a good intention that he worked very hard for Harijans and Dalits."
He added, "But if my use of the word Harijan has offended a person or a society, then I apologise for that. I did not say it on purpose. I did not know that it was prohibited."
Earlier, Jaiswar had also shared a voice note on social media in which he could be heard speaking to Bedi over the phone. During the conversation, he explained to the actor that the term he used is banned and inappropriate, and requested that he apologise publicly.
According to Jaiswar, Bedi agreed during the call that he would issue an apology, which the actor has now done through the video message circulating online.
