Richa Chadha posts apology, following social media backlash over ‘Galwan says hi’ comment

Actress Richa Chadha, who kicked up a storm with her tweet in which she apparently referred to the deadly clash in Galwan Valley in 2020, issued an apology on Thursday. In the now-deleted tweet, she had written ‘Galwan says hi’ in response to the Northern Army Commander, Lt General Upendra Dwivedi’s statement that the Indian Army is ‘waiting for orders from the government’to reclaim Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

This led to a severe backlash on Twitter with many criticising her for ‘mocking the sacrifice’ of Indian soldiers. Chadha, who never shies away from expressing her views on topical issues, said she didn’t intend to hurt the sentiments of the Indian Army. “Even though it can never be my intention in the least, if the three words which are being dragged into a controversy have offended or hurt anyone, I apologise and also say that it would sadden me if even unintentionally my words have triggered this feeling…,” Chadha said.

Shesaid her maternal grandfather, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army, took a bullet in his leg during the India-China War of 1965, and her maternal uncle served as a paratrooper.

Meanwhile, filmmaker Ashoke Pandit registered a police complaint against Richa and said her comment were ‘anti-national’.