BJP councillor Renu Chaudhary on Wednesday issued an apology after facing widespread criticism for threatening an African national football coach to learn Hindi. Chaudhary, a Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) councillor from Patparganj, was seen in a viral video confronting the coach at an MCD park in Mayur Vihar Phase I and allegedly warning him that action would be taken if he failed to learn Hindi within a month.

In the video, Chaudhary is heard saying that since the coach earns money in India, he should learn the language. She also alleged that the coach was conducting commercial activities inside the park without paying the required revenue and had not addressed cleanliness issues. The clip sparked sharp backlash on social media, with many calling her remarks discriminatory and inappropriate.

Following the outrage, Chaudhary deleted the original video and uploaded two separate apology statements on Instagram. In one of them, she said, “If my words have hurt anyone unintentionally or caused inconvenience, I sincerely apologise and regret that.” In another message, she said the park was meant for children to play and assured that all necessary facilities would be provided, adding that she hoped children would continue to enjoy the park.

Reacting to the controversy, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva termed the incident “inappropriate” and distanced the party from the councillor’s remarks. “Sports cannot be associated with any language,” Sachdeva said, adding that he had asked a party member to meet the children and the coach at the park to ensure proper facilities are made available.