Another Kiwi anchor sparks fresh racist row

Agencies

Wellington, 11 October 2010: After Paul Henry’s offensive ’Dikshit’ joke triggered off a diplomatic row between Wellington and New Delhi, a New Zealand radio presenter has stirred fresh controversy by calling Indian-origin Governor General Anand Satyanand as a "large, fat man", and commenting that his physique was "slightly incongruous" for an Indian.

 

Even as TV presenter Henry’s racial remarks against both Dikshit and Satyanand landed him in a soup, forcing him to file his resignation. This time radio host Michael Laws sparked another racial row, yet again targeting the Governor-General.

 

 

Laws said, ‘“Satyanand was a very large, fat man who appears to have never left the buffet table. I don’t know why but just on an Indian it seems slightly incongruous. I mean, we don’t all expect Indians to be begging on the streets of New Delhi, but it’s like Anand discovered the buffet table at, like, 20 and he’s never really left it.”

 

Prime Minister John Key has now quickly intervened asked the radio presenter to apologise to the Governer General. Laws has now responded to the Prime Minister’s call for an apology saying his comments were based purely on Anand’s weight and obesity and he needs to issue no apology for it.