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A social media storm ensued following an objectionable post shared on the Instagram account of Congress leader Supriya Shrinate targeting Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut.
The post, which depicted a scantily-clad image of Ranaut alongside a derogatory caption, sparked outrage from various quarters.
The timing of the post, just a day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced Kangana Ranaut as its candidate from Himachal Pradesh's Mandi, further fueled the controversy. Ranaut swiftly responded to the Congress leader's post, urging people to refrain from using demeaning language, particularly regarding the lives of sex workers.
Shrinate, on her part, disavowed any connection to the offensive content, asserting that the post was made by someone who had unauthorized access to her Facebook and Instagram accounts.
She stated in a post on 'X', “Someone who had access to my meta accounts ( FB and Insta) posted an absolutely disgusting and objectionable post, which has been taken down. Anyone who knows me will know I would never say that for a woman. However, a parody account that I have just discovered misusing my name is being run on Twitter ( @Supriyaparody ) which started the whole mischief, and is being reported,”
In her response, Kangana Ranaut emphasised the importance of upholding the dignity of all women, irrespective of their profession or background. She highlighted her diverse roles in cinema and advocated for freeing women from societal prejudices.
She further said, " From a naive girl in Queen to a seductive spy in Dhaakad, from a goddess in Manikarnika to a demon in Chandramukhi, from a prostitute in Rajjo to a revolutionary leader in Thalaivii."
“We must free our daughters from the shackles of prejudices, we must rise above the curiosity about their body parts and above all we must refrain from using sex workers challenging lives or circumstances as some kind of abuse or slur... every woman deserves her dignity...,” she added.
The incident drew swift condemnation from the BJP, with leader Amit Malviya calling for action against Supriya Shrinate. Malviya urged Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge to either dismiss Shrinate from her position or resign himself, citing the derogatory nature of the post and its implications.
Meanwhile, Rekha Sharma, Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW), responded to a matter brought to her attention by BJP leader Tajinder Bagga. He tagged her in a post urging action. Sharma praised Kangana Ranaut in a post and expressed solidarity, stating she would address the issue with the Election Commission (EC).
The NCW condemned the disrespectful remarks made by Ms. Supriya Shrinate and Mr. HS Ahir towards Kangana Ranaut on social media. Such behaviour undermines women's dignity and is unacceptable. Rekha Sharma has written to the Election Commissioner of India, demanding prompt and severe action against them. The NCW emphasised the importance of respecting the dignity of all women in a statement.
