Thaindian News

Wellington, Oct 10 (ANI): A New Zealand radio host has been criticised by the Race Relations Commissioner, Joris de Bres.for calling Indian origin Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand a “large, fat man” who has “never left” the buffet table.

The remarks were made by Michael Laws on Monday morning, following the media attention around Paul Henry’s much-reported comments that same day.

According to the New Zealand Morning Herald, his bosses at RadioLive have also been slammed for saying that they were comfortable with Laws’ remarks. On Sunday this week, RadioLive station manager Jana Rangooni issued a statement saying, she was not concerned about Laws’ comments.

“On Monday morning, Michael Laws made some personal observations about his size which were not racist, and having listened to the audio I am comfortable from the tone of the comments that they were not intended to be offensive.”

At least one complaint from a high-profile sporting personality has been laid with the Race Relations Commissioner, Joris de Bres. De Bres and media commentator Brian Edwards said they were appalled by the crass comments, which lacked good taste and decency.

“I am astonished that RadioLive has taken the position it has. It was crass … I’m lost for words. Just the vulgarity of it and the fact that it crosses the line on a whole range of counts,” De Bres said.

Laws said that Satyanand was an “unusual-shaped man” who reminded him of the impossibly obese Monty Python character Creosote. He also likened him to a British actor who played the Agatha Christie creation Hercule Poirot on UK television.

“That reminds me of Anand Satyanand, but Anand Satyanand could never move that quickly.He is a very large, fat man,” the paper quoted Laws, as saying.

“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,” he added. (ANI)