Social media star Faizal Siddiqui has over 13 million followers on TikTok. His recent video is being touted at promoting acid attacks on women. The TikTok video shows a drunk Faizal threatening a girl who left him for another guy and throwing some liquid on her face. The girl is covered in heavy makeup which is perceived as acid burns.
The National Commission for Women has asked TikTok India for the video’s immediate removal over promoting violence. It has also directed Maharashtra police to take strict action against its artist.
A letter to Grievance Officer Anuj Bhatia has also been filed for the outrageous act in the said video.
Read the letter below:
Following the huge controversy, Faizal issued an immediate statement on Instagram. He alleged that people are judging him based on watching the half video and went on to attach the full clip. He further clarified that its water and questioned: “Who drinks acid?”
The TikToker explained that the girl is a makeup artist who portrays her talent through all her videos. He denied the insinuation of promoting violence and said the video is being misinterpreted out of context. He also says that the video was uploaded a month ago so “why is it being blown out of proportion now?” In his Instagram post, Faizal apologized to people whose sentiments may have gotten hurt with his video saying it was never the intention.
However, his apology statement was issued after NCW’s direction for blocking and reporting his TikTok account. Celebrities including Pooja Bhatt and Sona Mohapatra have also called the video distasteful and depraved.
The controversy surrounding TikTok refuses to die down amid the infamous YouTube vs TikTok rivalry. No official statement from TikTok has been released yet.