Headlines
Deepika fails to make 'Chhapaak' on JNU campus
New Delhi, Jan 7
Even as Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone visited the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), here on Tuesday, to show solidarity with students, the JNUSU president was unmoved and targeted the actor for not speaking at the meet.
"When you are in a position you should speak up," JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh said after the actor left without addressing the meet.
Deepika was spotted standing with students at the Sabarmati T-point, where a public meeting had been called by JNU alumni over Sunday's violence. She also met Ghosh who received injuries. Padukone didn't address the meeting and left after an hour.
Amid drones flying over the meeting to keep an eye on students, Aishe targeted the JNU administration for filing complaints against her. "There are 3 FIRs against me, but I am not scared of the V-C. Even if you file 70 FIRs for all the 70 days of struggle against fee hike, we will continue our struggle"
The meeting was also attended by former JNU students, including Sitaram Yechury, Yogendra Yadav, D. Raja and Kanhaiya Kumar.
Kumar, who was targeted for allegedly raising anti-national slogans in JNU few years ago, said, "I am called the leader of tukde-tukde gang. I take it as an honour."
"Hatred for the JNU is not hatred for a university or ideology, but the thought as how a country should be," Kanhaiya. "The government is making a mistake. They have chosen an enemy that is intelligent and studies," he remarked.
Deepika's JNU visit riles section of Twitterati
New Delhi, Jan 7 (IANS) Bollywood star Deepika Padukone's visit to the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus, here on Tuesday, to meet protesting students didn't go down well with a section of Twitterati who called for a boycott of her upcoming film 'Chhapaak'.
#deepikapadukone trended on Twitter with 34.8K tweets as it was reported that she had also met JNUSU leader Aishe Ghosh who received injuries in the Sunday violence.
One user posted: "Bollywood star @deepikapadukone is in JNU to support students. She's at ground zero despite knowing the backlash it will receive from RW goons who will attempt to boycott her film which releases in two days. Coming from Deepika who has largely been silent on political issues, this is BIG."
A user posted: "'Chhapaak' is releasing with Ajay Devgn's 'Tanhaji' and Rajnikant's 'Darbaar'. 'Chhapaak' is not gonna work as such unless we create a massive controversy and give it free publicity."
"Please keep quiet on it. Don't call for its boycott. Don't trend it. Don't attack Deepika. Let it pass," it read.
Another remarked: "You don't understand the cost-benefit analysis? One tweet can prevent thousands of #boycott tweets. Those # boycott tweets catch the attention of media and are shown on TV and debated. That's what gives publicity."
"Sometimes you have to lose a battle to win a war," read a tweet.
"Don't boycott Chhapaak... boycott Deepika Padukone. Exactly! Instead, we should promote #TanhajiTheUnsungWarrior without saying a single word about Deepika and 'Chhapaak'," said one user.
A Twitter user pointed out, "Deepika was a fabulous actress for bhakts till yesterday. Today, she joined the JNU protest & suddenly became a failed actress. Anurag Kashyap was the most versatile director for bhakts till 2016. When he started talking against the establishment, he became a flop director."
