Who is Rajendra Panchal? Old pic of Pune man with fused jaw resurfaces in posts mocking Indians
Rajendra Panchal, who lived with a deformed jaw for 38 years, underwent a successful surgery several years ago.
An old photo of an Indian man who had a jaw deformity has resurfaced on the internet, but is now being used by several accounts on X to make racist remarks against Indians. Pune resident Rajendra Panchal was unable to open his mouth fully for 38 years after suffering an accident when he was a one-year-old. It was only after a rare surgery nearly eight years ago that he could eat solid foods.
The man had rare condition called Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) ankylosis in which the face joint gets fused to the skull. Till the surgery was done, Panchal could not chew food properly and survived on a liquid and semi-solid diet. As a result, he remained malnourished for years. A toothache that lasted for months ultimately led him to doctors who recommended the surgery.
Following the surgery by doctors at MA Rangoonwala College of Dental Sciences and Research Centre, Panchal's jaw was restored.
The Maharashtra resident received the surgery free of cost as he could not afford the procedure.
(Also Read: A rare surgery at Pune hospital helps patient open his mouth after 38 years)
Misuse of Rajendra Panchal's pic sparks outrage
Rajendra Panchal's pre-surgery photo has now been misused by a section of US-based X users to mock Indians. One of the widely circulated posts racked up over 10 million views in 48 hours.
"Using images of disfigured or disabled people to mock a group of people is despicable behaviour that should not be tolerated for a second," a user said, condemning the misuse of Panchal's old photo.
“This image is being widely circulated by racists to relentlessly attack Indians. I am not surprised though, what else do you expect of lowlifes?” X user Mayukh said.
