An Indian-origin man has deleted his social media profiles after a video of him dancing at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. sparked widespread outrage. The video, filmed at a site that commemorates millions of fallen soldiers, caused such a backlash that the man has deactivated both of his LinkedIn and Instagram account.
What happened?
It all started with a video shared by TikTok user @madhu_raju_ (who goes by the same name on his Instagram profile). this video The photo shows him and a woman performing the popular “Don’t Rush Challenge” in front of the monument. Massive criticism ensued, with people questioning the choice of location. Although the original video has been deleted, it is now circulating on social media platforms, especially X.
An X user named “The Repatriator” criticized this behavior and shared the video. The tweet quickly went viral, prompting mixed reactions, including some racist ones.
What is social media saying?
One person commented: “The reason I’m not planning to go abroad anytime soon is because the locals can’t tell the difference between me and these people.” Another added, “Absolute disgrace. War memorials are places of sacrifice and silence, not a stage for TikTok dancing. Unfortunately, this level of disrespect brings shame to the entire Indian community. These people need to be identified and held accountable.”
A third person said, “India sent over 2.5 million soldiers to fight in World War II, and my grandfather was one of them. He was shot in the leg. The DC World War II Memorial is a memorial place, not a TikTok scene. Such behavior is terrible for the hard-working American Indians who respect this heritage.”
A fourth person wrote, “When you move to another country, make sure you understand its history and cultural sensitivities. Remember: you are a guest, you do not own the place. Ever heard of the saying ‘In Rome, do as the Romans do’? Follow it. This type of antics at an American War Memorial is truly cringe-worthy and insensitive.”
Does he work for Palo Alto Networks?
An X user claimed that the man in the video works at Palo Alto Networks. An individual from the company wrote: “This is a reminder before contacting your legal team early next week (possibly Monday). Your employee appears in the video. His name is Madhu Raju and he has been a cloud cybersecurity engineer at your company since June 2025.”
Online sleuths claim the man in the video also runs MAD Dallas dance studio. However, the agency’s social media profiles have been deleted.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content on social media. HT.com has not independently verified these claims and does not endorse them.)
