New Delhi: Congress MP Deepender Hooda has joined in on the joke after a post on X went viral for “confusing” him with former badminton player Prakash Padukone.
The post featured a video of Hooda and fellow Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi during the Opposition’s protest against alleged irregularities in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The protesters were demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
The user claimed that Padukone was on the streets while “his son-in-law Ranveer Singh” remained a silent spectator to the scenes unfolding in the capital. Although the user clarified in the comments that the post was ironic, it went viral over the “mix-up” between the two prominent personalities.
Responding to the post on Friday, Hooda joked that neither Deepika Padukone nor Ranveer Singh had called him, while Prakash Padukone had yet to ask for his face back.
“Deepika has not called to check how I am doing after the police crackdown. Ranveer Singh has not called either. And Prakash Padukone has not called to ask for his face back. Still — glad to be promoted as an All England Badminton Champion, I choose to take this as respect,” Hooda wrote.
Deepika has not called to check how I am doing after the police crackdown. Ranveer Singh has not called either. And Prakash Padukone has not called to ask for his face back. Still – glad to be promoted as an All England Badminton Champion, I choose to take this as respect. 🙃🙃 https://t.co/vBls4dVqY5
— Deepender Singh Hooda (@DeependerSHooda) October 10, 2026
The post comes amid renewed scrutiny of celebrities’ silence on political and public issues. During nationwide protests in July over alleged paper leaks in the NEET-UG examination and demands for the resignation of then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, social media users had questioned celebrities for not speaking out, urging them to use their public platforms to raise citizens’ concerns.
The latest round of protests followed a report by The Indian Express alleging discrepancies in the SIR process, including orders issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) without the knowledge of Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, as well as changes to the form for new voter registration.
The INDIA bloc, led by the Congress, organised joint protests, with Opposition MPs taking to the streets of Delhi for three consecutive days to demand Kumar’s resignation.
The Cockroach Janta Party also called for a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on 10 October. However, its founder Abhijeet Dipke and co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained upon arriving in the capital.
Protesters were unable to reach Jantar Mantar amid a heavy police deployment across Central Delhi. Around 23,000 personnel were made available to the Delhi Police for deployment from 8 to 12 October. Authorities also shut down 45 metro stations and curtailed train arrivals at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations. Internet jammers were deployed, prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) were imposed in Central Delhi, and heavy barricading was put in place to maintain law and order.
(Edited by Chingkheinganbi Mayengbam)
Also Read: SC orders restoration of metro, train, internet and movement rights in Sunday special bench hearing