Influencer Shradha Singh Faces Online Abuse After Viral Video at Delhi Protest

NEW DELHI: "I didn't abuse or mock anybody," said 23-year-old content creator Shradha Singh, who alleged that she was subjected to online trolling and abuse after a video showing her with anti-riot police personnel during a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar went viral. Speaking to the media, Shradha Singh said, "I worked as a content creator as well as a yoga influencer and instructor." She alleged that the controversy had severely affected her career and personal life, claiming that several meme pages and social media users were creating videos about her and posting content for views and monetary gains. Shradha Singh said those targeting her online failed to understand the impact of their actions on a person's career, mental health and personal life. She claimed that the online abuse had forced her to hide her face in public and stay indoors for the past four to five days. She also said her mother was deeply disturbed after seeing the comments and offensive remarks directed at her daughter.

The controversy began after a video of Shradha Singh, who has over three lakh followers on Instagram, went viral during the CJP protests in Delhi. In the video, she was seen standing in front of Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel wearing blue camouflage uniforms while recreating a toilet cleaner advertisement. Pointing towards the RAF personnel, she said, "Neela wala toilet ke liye (blue one is for toilet)." Referring to her red outfit, she added, "Laal bathroom ke liye (red one is for bathroom)." The video sparked criticism on social media, with several users accusing her of disrespecting the RAF personnel.

Following the backlash, Shradha Singh posted an apology video, saying she realised her mistake soon after uploading the clip and deleted it within an hour. "I want to apologise to army officers," she said. Clarifying her intent, Singh said, "I didn't make it to mock them or with any malicious intent." She also denied that she was forced to delete the video, saying, "I just felt bad personally, so I uploaded the video to apologise to them." Singh was among several content creators and social media influencers who participated in the Cockroach Janta Party-led protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.