Former Infosys director T.V. Mohandas Pai and Biocon head Kiran Mazumdar Shaw exchanged words over Twitter on the hotly discussed topic of Bollywood star Deepika Padukone's appearance at JNU. Deepika had 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. Padukone earned bouquets as well as brickbats from various people, including politicians, for her act of showing support to the JNU students. Many called it a publicity stunt for Chhapaak, her latest movie that released two days after her visit. Several BJP leaders called for a boycott of her film.
Responding to a tweet claiming that an important movie like Chhapaak suffered because of the "PR stunt", Pai wrote: "True very sad; @deepikapadukone was ill advised. A good person with high values was led astray and used by Lutyens Delhi and the Khan Market Gang to further their fake narratives! She is a wonderful human,a true Bangalurean."
True very sad; @deepikapadukone was ill advised. A good person with high values was led astray and used by Lutyens Delhi and the Khan Market Gang to further their fake narratives! @kiranshaw @PrinceArihan @ARanganathan72 @anuraag_saxena She is a wonderful human,a true Bangalurean https://t.co/4EsuSmc2Wp
— Mohandas Pai (@TVMohandasPai) January 12, 2020
Responding to the tweet, to which she was tagged, Shaw responded: "She was not advised by anyone. She decided on her own to show solidarity with students who were attacked by goons. Please respect an individual’s rights to do what they want."
She was not advised by anyone. She decided on her own to show solidarity with students who were attacked by goons. Please respect an individual’s rights to do what they want.
— Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (@kiranshaw) January 12, 2020
Responding to another user, Shaw later posted another tweet on the same topic: "Can you pls stop this retrograde discussion. Have some sensitivity. She decided to do something n you shd respect her decision. There is nothing to own up to! You must accept that people will take a differing stand to yours. If u don’t then you r a bigot."
Can you pls stop this retrograde discussion. Have some sensitivity. She decided to do something n you shd respect her decision. There is nothing to own up to! You must accept that people will take a differing stand to yours. If u don’t then you r a bigot https://t.co/y5YCkWduOV
— Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (@kiranshaw) January 12, 2020
Union Minister Smriti Irani was one of Padukone's critics, claiming the actor chose to stand next to people who wanted the "destruction of India". According to Irani, Deepika had made her political affiliations known in 2011 itself when she praised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and called him a suitable candidate for the post of the prime minister.
"I think I would rather know what her political affiliation is than not know. I think that anybody who has read the news knew where you are going to stand... (They) knew that you are going to stand with people who wanted the destruction of India, knew that you are standing with people who celebrate every time a CRPF jawan is killed," Irani said at an event hosted by The New Indian Express here on Thursday evening.
The video of the minister's remarks was posted on the publication's Twitter handle. "... They hit some girls on their private parts with 'lathis'. So she stood next to them. That is her right. I can't deny her that right. She will stand next to people who will beat up other girls, who don't see eye-to-eye ideologically, in private parts. That's her freedom. She made her political affiliation known in 2011 that she supports the Congress party," the minister said.
The Textiles minister added that people who admired the Bollywood star's work are in shock over her decision to visit the JNU campus.
-Inputs from PTI
