Australian radio host calls India ‘shit hole’

Indian communities are outraged at a radio show host in Australia who described the Indian river Ganga as ‘junkyard’ and India as ‘shit hole’.

Indian leaders want Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to take action against radio host Kyle Sandilands, Sydney’s radio station “2dayFM 104.1″ and its owner “Southern Cross Austereo” for ridiculing their sacred river Ganga and India.

The alleged comments were made in a recent “Kyle and Jackie O Show” at “2dayFM 104.1″.

People in Varanasi, where the scared river is worshipped, in northern India’s Uttar Pradesh protested against the radio station.

A community group called Vishal Bharat Sansthan had organised the protest, Australian Sky News reported.

Another Hindu leader, Rajan Zed said in a statement issued in the United Sates that Hindus and people of Indian descent world over were upset about unnecessary denigration of their sacred river and malicious caricaturing of India.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, said that Ganga was sacred to one billion Hindus worldwide and such remarks were very hurtful to the devotees. Besides apparently denigrating the religion, it was belittling the entire community.

Rajan Zed further said that despite perturbed Hindus and people of India descent, “Southern Cross Austereo” CEO Rhys Holleran, “2dayFM 104.1″ management and Kyle Sandilands had not come up with a public apology. They should be more sensitive when handling faith related topics, as radio was a forceful medium, Zed argued.

Kyle Dalton Sandilands, 40, is an Australian radio and TV personality. This show at 6-9 am weekdays, hosted by him with Jacqueline Henderson, reportedly airs on selected Today Network stations across Australia and also on Take40 Australia.

Recently, a model displayed an image of Hindu Goddess Lakshmi on swimwear at a fashion event held in Sydney, which caused worldwide protests. Swimwear company immediately apologized, halting all its related production, and promising that the protested swimwear would never be available for sale.