Overview

• An anonymous X user on August 6 labeled Fahad Ahmad a “Chhapri” and “street vendor from Dongri” in a casteist and classist jibe.
• Swara Bhasker responded on August 7 by calling the slur a derogatory term for a community that builds thatched huts and defended street vendors’ dignity.
• She highlighted that “Chhapri” is rooted in caste prejudice and urged followers to recognize the word’s discriminatory origins.
• The actress’s rebuttal went viral and spurred extensive media coverage of online hate speech and the role of counter-speech by public figures.
• Bhasker and Ahmad remain contestants on Colors TV’s reality series Pati Patni Aur Panga hosted by Sonali Bendre and Munawar Faruqui.