Malayalam actor and television presenter Pearle Maaney issued a public apology after facing widespread backlash over her comments on the ongoing student protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. In a video shared on her YouTube channel, Maaney said she regretted the hurt caused by her words and clarified that her original post had been misunderstood.
The controversy began after Maaney shared a social media post expressing concern over visuals of students and police personnel getting injured during the protests. She urged students to stay safe and wrote that no cause was worth losing one's life over. However, several social media users interpreted her remarks as asking students to abandon their protest, prompting criticism from activists, students and members of the public.
Responding to the backlash, Maaney said she had shared the post out of fear after watching disturbing images from the demonstrations and insisted that she was not asking students to stop protesting. She maintained that she supports peaceful demonstrations while opposing violence from any side, adding that she was "nobody to tell students what they should do" and that her only concern was for their safety.
The controversy deepened after filmmaker Joe Sibi Malayil criticised Maaney's remarks on social media, following which she posted and later deleted an Instagram story referring to him as a "failed filmmaker". The remark drew fresh criticism online, with many accusing the actor of making a personal attack instead of engaging with the criticism.
In her clarification video, Maaney admitted that using the phrase was a mistake, apologised for her choice of words, and said she had no intention of personally attacking Joe. She also acknowledged that public figures must be mindful of their language, especially during emotionally charged debates.
Addressing criticism over deleting comments and blocking users on social media, Maaney denied trying to silence dissent, saying she had only removed abusive comments and blocked accounts that resorted to personal attacks or harassment. She reiterated that disagreement was welcome, but abuse was not.
Concluding her video, Maaney apologised to everyone who was hurt by her remarks and said the episode had been a learning experience. She added that she was willing to accept criticism and hoped to emerge from the controversy as a better human being, while reaffirming her support for students' right to protest peacefully.
