"She stood with those who divide India," Union Minister Smriri Irani said while taking a dig at Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone over her participation in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) vigil. Speaking at a conclave organised by The New Indian Express, the Union Minister of Textiles and Women and Child Development said, "I want to know what Deepika Padukone's political affiliation is. Anybody who has read the news would know why she would stand with the protesters,
Addressing the gathering, Irani said it is Deepika Padukone's freedom to stand next to people who say Bharat tere tukde honge.
"It was not unexpected to us that she was going to stand with people who want the destruction of India. She sided with people who hit girls on their private parts with lathis. I can't deny her that right. She made her political affiliation known in 2011 that she supports the Congress Party. If people are surprised by this, it is because they didn't know. There were a lot of admirers of hers who have just discovered her position," said the Minister.
Earlier, Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Deepika had visited the Delhi varsity to publicise her latest outing 'Chhapaak'.
"I think she had gone to JNU to grab limelight without investment.... Film stars are in the habit of going to disturbed areas and creating controversies before the release of their films. These are the kind of publicity campaigns (they resort to) when their movie is about to be released," Sarma said.
The Bollywood star visited the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Tuesday to express solidarity with the students who were attacked by a masked mob inside the campus on January 5, though she did not address the crowd. Her visit polarized opinion on social media, where trends ranged from #ISupportDeepika to #BoycottChhapaak.
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