Preity Zinta claims being harassed in Mumbai: I'm a human being first, then a mom & then a celebrity
Mumbai (PTI): Actor-entrepreneur Preity Zinta has opened up about allegedly facing harassment on two separate occasions during her recent visit to the city, saying the incidents have left her a "bit shaken".
In a lengthy post on Instagram, Zinta wrote that a woman tried to take a photograph with her toddler Gia, but when the actor "politely" refused, the lady "suddenly scooped my daughter in her arms & planted a big wet kiss next to her mouth & ran off saying what a cute baby."
"This woman lives in an elite building & happened to be in the garden where my kids were playing. If I wasn't a celebrity I probably would have reacted badly but kept my cool as I didn't want to make a scene," the actor, who shares twins Gia and Jai with husband Gene Goodenough, said.
Detailing the second incident, the co-owner of the IPL team Kings XI Punjab said she was rushing to the airport when a disabled man started getting "aggressive" as she couldn't offer him money due to lack of cash at the time.
"I had a plane to catch & this disabled man kept trying to stop me.Over the years he has harassed me for money & I have given it to him when I could.This time when he asked for money I said sorry today I have no cash, just a credit card.
"The lady with me gave him some money from her purse. He threw it back at her cuz it wasn't enough & started getting aggressive," she wrote alongside a video of the disabled man following her car.
The 48-year-old actor, based out of Los Angeles, is currently in India to attend the ongoing IPL 2023 tournament.
Zinta, known for starring in movies such as "Dil Se..", "Soldier", "Kal Ho Naa Ho", "Koi... Mil Gaya", "Veer-Zaara" and "Lakshya", said it's high time people realised that celebrities are "human beings" first.
"I'm a human being first, then a mom & then a celebrity. I also don't need to apologise for my success constantly & be bullied for it cuz I've worked very hard to get where I am.
"I have an equal right like anyone else in this country to live the way I want so please think before you judge & please stop blaming celebrities for everything. There are always 2 sides to a story," she wrote, adding that her children are "not part of a package deal & are not meant to be preyed on."
"They are infants & need to be treated like infants, not celebrities."
Zinta also called out the paparazzi for laughing over the situation instead of helping her.
"The photographers found this incident funny. Instead of helping us they filmed & laughed. NO ONE told him not to follow the car or harass us as anyone could have gotten hurt. Had there been an accident, I would have been blamed. My being a celebrity would have been questioned. Bollywood would have been blamed & a lot of negativity would have spread."
She hopes the photographers that "ask us for photos, videos & sound bytes also have the grace, humanity & maturity to act & help in the future instead of filming & laughing cuz most of the time it's not funny."
Zinta found support in her film industry colleagues. While Hrithik Roshan lauded her for voicing her concerns, Arjun Rampal asked her to give him a "call" whenever she is in any difficult situation in future.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Malaika Arora and Lilly Singh also praised the actor for taking a stand.
Two events this week have left me a bit shaken pic.twitter.com/fbq6jr9gyV
— Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) April 8, 2023
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Telangana CM urges Amit Shah to increase sanctioned strength of IPS officers in state
Hyderabad (PTI): Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Wednesday night and urged him to increase the sanctioned strength of IPS officers to the state in view of its growing administrative and security needs.
The two leaders also discussed the recent surrender of several senior Maoist leaders before the Telangana Police and other issues.
"During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the issue of Maoist surrenders and their rehabilitation. The chief minister informed Shah that significant improvements in policing have taken place in Telangana over the past two years," an official release here said.
Highlighting that 591 Maoists have laid down their arms and joined the mainstream of society during this period, the chief minister said the state government was providing them compensation and rehabilitation assistance as per the rules.
He requested the Union home minister to extend financial support from the central government for development works in the backward regions of the state.
Reddy also urged Shah to increase the sanctioned strength of IPS officers to the state from 83 to 105 in line with the state's growing administrative and security needs, the statement said.
The first cadre review after the formation of Telangana was conducted in 2016, while the next review, due in 2021, was delayed and finally carried out in 2025. Even then, only seven additional IPS officers were allocated to the state, the chief minister informed Shah and requested that the third cadre review be conducted in 2026 as per the schedule.
Reddy explained that Telangana, like the rest of the country, is facing several modern challenges, including cybercrime, drug trafficking, white-collar crimes, and other emerging security threats.
He highlighted the reorganisation of the Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Malkajgiri Police Commissionerates, the proposed formation of the Future City Commissionerate and the rapidly growing population in Hyderabad to underline the increasing administrative requirements of the state.
