Magician Paul Daniels' 'Paki' tweet branded 'racist'

London, Feb 20 (ANI): Magician Paul Daniels' Twitter message that the word 'Paki' is no more offensive than the abbreviation "Brit" has been slammed as 'offensive' and 'racist'.

"What's this about 'Brit' awards? Surely not? Isn't that like calling someone a 'Paki'? Not PC dahlings," the Telegraph quoted Daniels, 72, as saying on Twitter during the Brit Awards ceremony last week.

He quickly added: "Hey, all I am saying is that I don't understand why one abbrev is OK and another isn't. It's all how you say it surely, not the ab itself."

However, Sam Tarry, campaign organiser with the anti-racism group Searchlight, said: "The word 'Paki' is offensive and racist, it is not something that can be compared to the word 'Brit'.

"It has been used not just to define people from Pakistan, but Asian people in general, and it has a long, nasty history. In the 1970s people used to talk about 'Paki-bashing'."

Daniels was also slammed by his followers on Twitter.

One said: "Oh dear, @ThePaulDaniels has lost the plot and not in a good way, in an old man racist way. You'll like this, not a lot. I lied, you won't."

Another, Cal Lacey, wrote: "Obviously 'Brits' doesn't have the same connotation as the other word which is offensive, as you should well know!"

Daniels replied by claiming, "vowels and consonants are never racist, only stupid people", and "you are obviously not reading the full sentences. Only the bits you want to be racist. I HATE racism." (ANI)