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By Jeff Goldman and Matt Arco | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The hosts of "The Dennis & Judi Show" on New Jersey 101.5-FM radio have been suspended indefinitely after they repeatedly referred to New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, who is a Sikh, as "turban man" on air on Wednesday.

The radio station announced Dennis Malloy and Judi Franco, both longtime hosts on the talk radio station, were taken off the air from their 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. show.

"We are aware of the offensive comments made by Dennis and Judi during Wednesday's broadcast," Ewing-based radio station WKXW said in a statement issued after midnight Thursday. "We have taken immediate action and have taken them off the air until further notice. We are investigating the matter and will have further comment shortly."

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In a 2011 photo, New Jersey 101.5 radio talk show hosts Dennis Malloy (right) and Judy Franco (left) in the station studio as they get ready for their daily broadcast. (Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-Ledger)

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Grewal, the nation's first Sikh attorney general, was referred to as "turban man" and "the guy with the turban" as the hosts discussed his recent move to tell municipal prosecutors not to pursue charges for marijuana arrests.

Early Thursday, Grewal posted a short comment from his personal Twitter account and tagged NJ101.5 in the tweet. He later followed up with another tweet calling for an end to "small-minded intolerance."

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.@nj1015: My name, for the record, is Gurbir Grewal. I’m the 61st Attorney General of NJ. I’m a Sikh American. I have 3 daughters. And yesterday, I told them to turn off the radio. — Gurbir S. Grewal (@GurbirGrewalNJ) July 26, 2018

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This is not the first indignity I’ve faced and it probably won’t be the last. Sometimes, I endure it alone. Yesterday, all of New Jersey heard it. It’s time to end small-minded intolerance. It’s an issue I addressed at @APAICS conference this May: pic.twitter.com/XnxJp53cxv — Gurbir S. Grewal (@GurbirGrewalNJ) July 26, 2018

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Malloy and Franco made the comments after Malloy said he had trouble recalling the attorney general's name.

"I'm never gonna know his name. I'm just gonna say the guy with the turban," Malloy said. "Listen, and if that offends you then don't wear the turban and maybe I'll remember your name."

Malloy acknowledged his comment could be offensive. But the pair then quickly brushed the notion aside and agreed it wasn't.

"Is that highly offense? Could be. But if you call me 'baseball hat man' in a culture where nobody wears baseball hats, and they call me 'baseball hat man,' should I be offended?" Malloy continued. "No."

Franco agreed: "No. I would say no."

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In a 2011 photo, New Jersey 101.5 radio talk show host Dennis Malloy on the air as he does his daily broadcast with his co-host Judy Franco in the station studio. (Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-Ledger)

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Officials across the state condemned the remarks.

In a statement, Gov. Phil Murphy said. "I'm outraged by the abhorrent and xenophobic comments made earlier today mocking Attorney General Gurbir Grewal on "The Dennis & Judi Show" on New Jersey 101.5," Murphy said in a statement Wednesday night.

"Hate speech has no place in New Jersey, and it does not belong on our airwaves," he said. "Station management must now hold the hosts accountable for these intolerant and racist comments."

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In a 2011 photo, New Jersey 101.5 radio talk show host Judy Franco on the air as she does her daily broadcast with her co-host Dennis Malloy in the station studio. (Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-Ledger)

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Hoboken Mayor Ravinder S. Bhalla, who is also a Sikh, fired off a series of tweets expressing his outrage. In one he wrote, "I'm a Jersey guy, born & raised, and so is (Grewal) - this type of racist garbage has no place in Jersey. Get with the program." Bhalla also retweeted a call for a boycott of the show's advertisers.

Other social media reactions to the Dennis & Judi show poured in from around the state:

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Such hateful rhetoric doesn’t reduce Gurbir, such hateful rhetoric reduces and disgraces the one who uses it.



We are New Jersey; bigotry has no place, religious intolerance no harbor.



We all should denounce this ignorant and outrageous attack.https://t.co/8HrcjAEl5K — Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) July 26, 2018

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Let’s go after the advertisers of the show as well. https://t.co/UDx77SMHdF — Amardeep Singh (@amarHoboken) July 26, 2018

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I'm truly appalled by the derogatory & hateful comments made today on the “Dennis and Judi Show” about NJ Attorney General Gurbir Grewal. Our residents shouldn't have to hear these types of crude remarks made over the airwaves regarding a person’s religious beliefs and practices. — Steve Sweeney (@NJSenatePres) July 26, 2018

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Gurbir is a man that will look you in the eye, shake your head and then ask about your family. He remembers everybody's name and the name of your children. New Jersey is very lucky to have him as our attorney general. Any disparaging remarks about him or ignorant. — Chief Bryan Gurney (@ChiefBryanGurne) July 26, 2018

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His name is Gurbir Grewal, and he's been mentioned in the news "once or twice." It's easy enough to remember.https://t.co/TxKSAALPgb — Scott Coffina (@ScottCoffina) July 26, 2018

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Say it with us: Ger-beer Gray-wall. If you google "Gurbir Grewal pronunciation" this is the 1st result: https://t.co/OdU4qFzInK "Phil Murphy" is probably less phonetic.



"Turban man? Is that offensive?" Yep. (If you have to ask...)



Racism isn't cute. It's just racist. https://t.co/KYycUuvVgc — ACLU of New Jersey (@ACLUNJ) July 26, 2018

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The station has started to take action against the hosts, and the Sikh Coalition is reaching out to the station given these egregious, offensive comments about Mr. Grewal and the Sikh community. We will share updates when possible. https://t.co/whBZuyKDyo — Sikh Coalition (@sikh_coalition) July 26, 2018

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A post on NJ 101.5's Facebook page announcing the suspension quickly drew more than 1,200 comments in the first hour it was online. The reactions were mixed with many fans of the show criticizing the suspension while others said the move was justified.

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We are aware of the offensive comments made by Dennis and Judi during Wednesday's broadcast. We have taken immediate... Posted by New Jersey 101.5 on Thursday, July 26, 2018

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The usual morning radio host was off on Thursday morning and Jeff Edelstein, a columnist for The Trentonian newspaper, was filling in. The on-air conversation was mostly focused on New Jersey's minimum wage, but the Dennis & Judi Show suspension was included in the station's news segment.

Shortly after 7:30 a.m., Edelstein gave his take on the difference between hosting a radio talk show and writing a newspaper column.

"I have the benefit there of writing a column and I’ve written some columns that have taken me six months to write," Edelstein said. "There are eyes on my stuff. I have time on my side. I can edit. Go back. "But you know what’s different about this job? … No editing. The only filter that I have is my brain," he said.

Edelstein acknowledged the description of Grewal was offensive, but he didn't think it was their intent to offend.

"The point I’m making is that we are working here on a razor wire," he said. "Things come into your mind, sometimes they come out of your mouth. I can't speak for Dennis and Judi, … is what came out of their mouth offensive? Yeah, it can be. I think it can be construed that way."

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New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal is shown in a file photo.

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Grewal is a first-generation New Jersey resident, born to Indian immigrant parents in Jersey City and raised in Hudson and Bergen counties. He is a practicing Sikh and wears the turban headdress common in the religion.

Several state lawmakers, including state Sen. Vin Gopal, called on the hosts to be held accountable.

"The attorney general is in no way deserving of the infantile, hate-filled comments directed at him by these hosts," Gopal, D-Monmouth, said.

Malloy, a Medford resident, is a member of the New Jersey Broadcasters Hall of Fame, according to a bio on the station website.

Franco, a married mother of four and a grandmother, lives in Long Branch. Neither have commented since being suspended.

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More New Jersey politics:

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NJ Advance Media staff writer S.P. Sullivan contributed to this report.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.