New Delhi: Film actor Siddharth Monday responded to widespread criticism of a tweet he had directed at badminton player Saina Nehwal, even as National Commission for Women chair Rekha Sharma took up the matter with the Maharashtra Police.
Siddharth had on 6 January hit out at Nehwal for her tweet on the alleged breach in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s security in Punjab last week. Nehwal had tweeted that she condemned the “cowardly attack on PM Modi by anarchists”.
No nation can claim itself to be safe if the security of its own PM gets compromised. I condemn, in the strongest words possible, the cowardly attack on PM Modi by anarchists.#BharatStandsWithModi #PMModi
— Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) January 5, 2022
Quoting Nehwal’s tweet, Siddharth said “Subtle cock champion of the world”, in an apparent wordplay on the shuttlecocks used in badminton. He added, “Shame on you #Rihanna,” in an apparent reference to Nehwal’s February 2021 response to singer Rihanna’s tweet on the farmers’ protest.
Subtle cock champion of the world… Thank God we have protectors of India. ??
Shame on you #Rihanna https://t.co/FpIJjl1Gxz
— Siddharth (@Actor_Siddharth) January 6, 2022
After four days of criticism and accusations of misogyny, Siddharth claimed Monday that he had intended to refer to the idiom cock-and-bull story, i.e. “an absurd, improbable story presented as the truth”.
“‘COCK & BULL’ That’s the reference,” the actor tweeted, adding, “Nothing disrespectful was intended.”
"COCK & BULL"
That's the reference. Reading otherwise is unfair and leading!
Nothing disrespectful was intended, said or insinuated. Period. ??
— Siddharth (@Actor_Siddharth) January 10, 2022
However, several public figures, including Saina’s husband and fellow badminton player Parupalli Kashyap and playback singer Chinmayi Sripaada, refused to accept this as a defence.
This is upsetting for us … express ur opinion but choose better words man . I guess u thought it was cool to say it this way . #notcool #disgraceful
— Parupalli Kashyap (@parupallik) January 10, 2022
This is really crass, Siddharth. You just contributed to what a lot of us women are fighting against.
— Chinmayi Sripaada (@Chinmayi) January 10, 2022
Stop harassing her! Your use of language is plain misogyny!
Unadulterated hatred!
— Amrita Bhinder ?? (@amritabhinder) January 9, 2022
NCW action
Just before Siddharth’s clarification, National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma had weighed in to the issue Monday, saying that the actor “needs a lesson or two”, and questioned Twitter on why his account had not yet been suspended.
This man needs a lesson or two. @TwitterIndia why this person's account still exists?..taking it up with Concerned police. https://t.co/qZD2NY5n3X
— Rekha Sharma (@sharmarekha) January 10, 2022
The NCW later announced that Sharma had written to Maharashtra Police to register an FIR in the matter and had requested Twitter to take action against Siddharth.
@NCWIndia has taken cognisance. Chairperson @sharmarekha has written to @DGPMaharashtra for investigating & registering FIR in the matter. NCW has also written to @TwitterIndia for blocking the actor’s account & to take appropriate action against him for posting such remarks. https://t.co/pW1hT9zz6W
— NCW (@NCWIndia) January 10, 2022
Siddharth is known for his work in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films from the early 2000s onwards, with credits such as Boys (2003), Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana (2005) and Rang De Basanti (2006).
(Edited by Rohan Manoj)
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