Never okay to bully anyone: Ananya Pandey rubbishes reports of her lying about USC admission
Mumbai: Ananya Pandey on Saturday dismissed the accusations that she lied about getting selected in a prestigious US university. The "Student of the Year 2" actor had recently said in an interview that she chose not to go to college despite being accepted for a journalism program as she wanted to focus on her acting career.
A woman, who goes by the name of "anieeepeee" on Instagram, then came forward disputing the actor's statement and said she never applied for any foreign university.
The woman claimed to be Ananya's schoolmate.
Setting the record straight, the 20-year-old actor posted a photo of her with the university letters on Instagram and revealed that she had successfully applied for a major in Communication at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism but postponed her admission twice as she was shooting for her debut film.
"As I've stated earlier, I was accepted by Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at USC for a major in Communication in the Spring 2018 semester. But since I was shooting for my first film and the release date later got pushed, I had to request for a deferral (which means postponing my admission) twice - first to Fall 2018 and later to Fall 2019, both of which they gracefully agreed to do," Ananya wrote in the caption.
"In my case, I could only defer my admission two times so I will not be attending university (for now), since I've decided to pursue my career in acting," she added.
The actor also said the rumours that she lied about getting selected in a foreign university were "getting out of hand" and have been "unfair" to her and her family.
"As for the people who have been trying to pull me down with these accusations, I would like to send you all lots of love, peace and positivity. And would also like to say that even though they're claiming to be my classmates (nameless and faceless) - I'm sure they aren't because I've grown up with the people I went to school with and they would never do something like that," Ananya said.
"It's never okay to bully anyone - creating fake conversations, stories and screenshots is very dangerous and can seriously damage people's lives. So please be loving, positive and kind," she added.
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Karnataka: GBA city corporation polls likely between June 14 and 24
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka State Election Commissioner G S Sangreshi on Friday said elections to the five city corporations under the GBA will be held anytime between June 14 and June 24.
He said the exact date for the polls will be announced after a week, asserting that the power to postpone the elections, as requested by GBA authorities, lies with the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court had directed the Karnataka government and the State Election Commission to conduct Bengaluru local body elections by June 30.
On Friday, the SEC held a consultation meeting with the GBA Chief Commissioner and commissioners of the five city corporations regarding the election schedule, as per the provisions of the GBA Act.
“During the meeting, I informed GBA officials that only the election date has to be fixed, as all other measures and formalities for conducting the polls have already been completed,” Sangreshi said.
“They requested the Commission to consider factors such as rains, exams, census work, SIR, and manpower shortages while fixing the date and sought additional time,” he added.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said, “I told them this meeting was not for seeking time. Elections to the five corporations under the GBA must be held before June 30, as directed by the Supreme Court, and a compliance report must be submitted to the court. I do not have the power to postpone the elections as requested.”
The Supreme Court has already given a “final opportunity,” and both the SEC and the government must comply with its directions, the State Election Commissioner said.
He asked GBA officials to suggest suitable dates between June 14 and June 24.
“While stating that they are ready for elections, the officials highlighted operational challenges, including manpower shortages. However, I have informed them that the elections will have to be held between June 14 and June 24. After a week, I will announce the final date,” he said.
Reiterating that he does not have the power to postpone the elections, Sangreshi said the authority rests with the Supreme Court, and elections must be conducted as scheduled.
“We have consulted the GBA as per the rules. It is up to them to suggest a date within the given window. If they need more time, they must approach the court. Our responsibility is to fix the date and complete the polls before June 30,” he said.
The matter regarding manpower and other concerns raised by GBA officials is already before the Supreme Court, and the State Election Commission has also filed a petition in this regard. The case is yet to be heard.
“Since the matter has not come up for hearing, the earlier order remains binding. Therefore, preparations are underway,” he added.
The tenure of the previous elected body under the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) ended on September 10, 2020, and since then, a government-appointed administrator has been managing its day-to-day affairs.
Bengaluru was divided into five municipal corporations—Central, East, West, North, and South—under the Greater Bengaluru Authority in September 2025, replacing the BBMP.
Sangreshi had earlier said that elections to the five corporations would be conducted using ballot papers instead of Electronic Voting Machines.
This follows the Congress government’s decision last September to recommend the use of ballot papers in all future panchayat and urban local body elections, citing concerns over declining public confidence in EVMs.
The state government subsequently enacted the Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Act, 2026, paving the way for the use of ballot papers in local body elections.
