Consent row after Pawan Singh touches Anjali Raghav on stage

A viral video showing Bhojpuri actor and singer Pawan Singh placing his hand on actress Anjali Raghav’s waist during a promotional event has touched off a wave of criticism and a public dispute over consent. The clip, recorded at a stage event in Lucknow during promotions for the song Saiya Seva Kare, shows Anjali addressing the audience while Singh stands beside her; he is seen putting his hand on her waist more than once as she visibly appears uncomfortable.

In the footage, Anjali, wearing a shimmery gold saree, continues speaking with an awkward smile while Singh’s hand remains on her midriff. After repeated attempts, he eventually removes his hand and the event proceeds. The video spread rapidly on social media, where users condemned the action as inappropriate and nonconsensual. One user wrote, "Consent is a basic thing how can anyone touch another person without asking?" while others called the gesture "molestation" and accused Singh of exhibiting a pattern of behavior.

Singh responded to the backlash by saying he believed there was something on Anjali’s waist, possibly an insect, and that he had asked her to stay still so he could remove it. Anjali contested that...