In a viral video, an Indian-origin couple was seen dancing in front of a war memorial in the US. The duo took up a social media challenge, but this did not go well and received significant backlash. The dance video was recorded at a historic place that is dedicated to war heroes in Washington, D.C.

What was the social media challenge?

The challenge is called the ‘Don’t Rush Challenge.’ The man in the video identified as Madhu, took up the challenge and was performing at the World War II Memorial. This memorial was built to honor the brave members of the US Armed Forces who sacrificed their lives while fighting in World War II. After receiving significant backlash, the video was deleted, however, the initial clip continues to spread across the social media. Madhu, who was seen in the video, even deleted his social media accounts, including his LinkedIn and Instagram accounts.

Social media criticism

Some users called the act obscene and criticised it. Others argued that such memorials are built to honour heroes and treating such a place like this is a crime; this place is for remembrance, not a backdrop for social media content shoots.

Some users were very angry; They pointed out that there is a historical connection of Indian soldiers to the war. Stating the exact figures of soldiers who sacrificed their lives, one user said more than 2.5 million Indian soldiers bravely fought in World War II. Sharing a personal story, another user said his grandfather had been among those who served. Users called the behaviour inappropriate because the memorial in Washington, D.C., is a place of remembrance, sacrifice, and reflection.

Calling the couple attention seekers, one user said taking up a challenge is fine, but filming the reel at a historic place like this war memorial shows that the duo needed online attention.

Amidst all the criticism, one user pointed out that the video is old, posted in 2021. However, social media users aren’t ready to listen to anything and continue to debate about respectful conduct at memorial sites.