Chennai, Apr 29: Actor Siddharth on Thursday alleged his phone number was leaked by members of Tamil Nadu BJP and he and his family received over 500 abusive calls and 'death threats'.

He said he was given police protection following complaint but would 'give up this privilege.'

"My phone number was leaked by members of TN BJP and @BJPtnITcell. Over 500 calls of abuse, rape and death threats to me & family for over 24 hrs."

"All numbers recorded (with BJP links and DPs) and handing over to Police. I will not shut up. Keep trying," @narendramodi, @AmitShah, Siddharth tweeted.

The BJP, however, denied the allegation.

Tamil Nadu BJP media wing president ANS Prasad alleged the actor sought 'cheap publicity' by making baseless allegations against his party and top leaders.

In another tweet, the actor thanked police for protection. "Thank you @tnpoliceoffl for the protection. I am the first person in my entire family's history to be given the same."

"However, I would politely like to give up this privilege so the same officers' time is better used for something else during this pandemic. Thank you again."

Siddharth's fans took to twitter to express solidarity with him and the hashtag #IStandWithSiddharth trended.

The 42-year-old actor debuted in ace filmmaker Shankar's Tamil movie 'Boys (2003) and has starred in many films including Aamir Khan-starrer 'Rang De Basanti'.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.

Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.

He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.

Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.

He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.

Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.

He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.