Deepika Padukone visited the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi to express solidarity with the students who were attacked by a mob on January 5. Deepika Padukone visited the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi to express solidarity with the students who were attacked by a mob on January 5.

Days after Deepika Padukone visited Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to express solidarity with students who were attacked by a masked mob, Union Minister Smriti Irani took a dig at the actor, saying she knew she was standing with people “who celebrate every time a CRPF jawan is killed”.

“I think that anybody who has read the news knew where you are going to stand…knew that you are standing with people who celebrate every time a CRPF jawan is killed,” Irani said at an event in Chennai on Thursday.

In a video shared by BJP spokesperson Tajinder Bagga on Twitter of the event, the Union Minister also said the actor had “made her political affiliation known in 2011 that she supports the Congress party.”

“I would rather know what her (Deepika Padukone’s) political affiliation is than not know… I can’t deny her that right that 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 said.

Irani’s remarks come amid calls for a boycott against Deepika Padukone’s upcoming film ‘Chhapaak’ for her standing in solidarity with JNU students.

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“She made her political affiliation known in 2011 that she supports the Congress party. It’s her right…stand next to people who say Bharat tere tukde honge,” Irani said. The Union Minister was referring to an old video making rounds on Twitter in which the actor was seen extending support to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister.

Deepika Padukone at Deepika Padukone at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. (File/Express photo)

The Textiles minister further claimed that people who admired the Bollywood star’s work were in shock over her decision to visit the JNU campus. “I think the problem that has happened is that a lot of people are in shock. They didn’t know. There were a lot of people who were admirers and possibly watched many of her films and for them, it was a shock,” Irani said.

Earlier this week, Deepika visited the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi to express solidarity with the students who were attacked by a masked mob on January 5. At 7.45 pm on Tuesday, Padukone arrived at JNU to lend solidarity to JNU Students’ Union president Aishe Ghosh. A member of her team said she wanted to “express her anguish at the JNU violence”. While she did not address the gathering, Padukone told Ghosh that she was “proud” of her, and asked her to “take care”.

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