TV actor Shweta Tiwari apologises for her controversial remark, says statement was 'misconstrued'
Bhopal/Mumbai, Jan 28: Popular TV actor Shweta Tiwari has apologised after she received backlash for allegedly hurting religious sentiments with her remark on God.
Her apology comes on the day an FIR was registered against the actor in Bhopal for her statement.
The 41-year-old actor had made the controversial statement in Bhopal on Wednesday during the promotion of her web series "Show Stopper".
A video of Tiwari's statement has gone viral on social media, in which she purportedly referred to God while speaking about her innerwear. Her co-actors were also present when she made the remark during an interaction with media persons.
The TV star, best known for her role in shows Kasautii Zindagii Kay and Parvarrish , said her statement was misconstrued .
It has come to my notice that a certain statement of mine referring to a colleague's previous role has been taken out of context and has been misconstrued. When put in context, one will understand that the statement in reference to Bhagwan' was in context with Sourabh Raj Jain's popular role of a deity.
"People associate character names to actors and hence, I used that as an example during my conversation with the media. However, it has been completely misconstrued which is saddening to see, Tiwari said in a statement issued on Friday.
She said she would never intentionally or unintentionally say or do any anything that would hurt sentiments of people at large.
I have, however, come to understand that when taken out of context, it has unintentionally hurt feelings of people. Please be assured that it has never been my intention to hurt anyone, with my words or actions. Hence, I would like to humbly apologise for the hurt that my the statement has unintentionally caused to a lot of people, she added.
Police officials in Bhopal on Friday registered a case against Tiwari for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.
The case was registered following Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra's directions to the city police to investigate her remark and submit a report.
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'Brand Bharat' is statement of authenticity; of being Vishwa Bandhu, says EAM
New Delhi (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday extolled the idea of 'Brand Bharat' and said it is "statement of authenticity" in representation, articulation or beliefs, and equally a message that "we are now more comfortable in our own skin".
In a virtual address at India Ideas Conclave, he also underlined that it is also the "brand of Vishwa Bandhu" as on the big stage, a "multi-vector approach" engages the Quad and BRICS, Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Iran and the Global North and Global South.
Nations, like people, enterprises or services, have a reputation. When deeply entrenched into consciousness and easily recognisable, that becomes a brand. Obviously, it is related to the merits of the product and its track record, he said.
"When it comes to a country, the national brand is obviously a fusion and aggregation of different facets of its life. On the global stage, it is much more an integrated positioning of a multiple endeavors. We, in the world of diplomacy, have that responsibility. My thoughts today are about how we discharge that for an India that is more Bharat," Jaishankar said.
In his address, the external affairs minister encapsulated the journey of India from freedom struggle to gaining independence and the course the country took in the succeeding decades.
"Our initial decades after independence saw us struggling with the brand challenge. Given the ground situation, this was not unsurprising. A society recovering from two centuries of colonialism obviously had to painstakingly build itself up, creating new capabilities, institutions and practices," he said.
But at the end of the day, India entered the next century "intact as a polity, energetic as an economy and optimistic as a society".
"None of that could have been taken for granted and some, in fact, failed to make it," he underlined.
The Union minister, who virtually addressed the conclave hosted by India Foundation, lamented that earlier the country, at the global level, was "seen as sizeable player about whom there was limited expectation", and said, however, the last decade has seen a "big shift" in that regard.
"Economically, we are now perceived as much easier to do business. The transformation underway in infrastructure is also increasingly appreciated.
Whether it is the airports, metros, highways or railways, the achievements of the last decade stand out even by global standards. Perhaps, nothing has been more impactful than our embrace of digital technologies," he added.
Jaishankar then went on to expound what is 'Brand Bharat'.
"Bharat is a statement of authenticity, be it in representation, articulation or beliefs. Even our economic energies required a connotation of Atmanirbharta in that background," he asserted.
"It is equally a message that we are now more comfortable in our own skin, drawing on our own past, fashioning our own lexicon and advancing our own ideas," the Union minister added.
He said while recognising these developments, let us also realise that "we are not just one more country".
"Our history, tradition, culture and heritage makes us stand out. We are one of the rare ancient civilisations that have made a successful transition to a nation state. In the past, when our overall standing was less, perhaps this did not count for that much. But when juxtaposed with our achievements in so many fields, it now assumes very different connotation," Jaishankar added.
It is in this context that "we should reflect on Brand Bharat. The very term captures the civilisational aspect, while underlining how much more rooted we have become", he said.
"In a world asserting its independence from a globalised elite, it is an effort to engage the world more on our terms. The formulation of standing on the two legs of technology and tradition is one effective way of expressing Brand Bharat," Jaishankar said.
Coming from the domain of diplomacy, India naturally seek to advance that brand in more specific terms. That means defining how Bharat approaches the world, he said.
"There are a range of answers. The Global South sees a powerful advocate and the driver of Vaccine Maitri. Neighbours recognise a generous and non-reciprocal partner who stood by them during Covid, financial meltdowns or natural disasters. Democracies appreciate a confident partner whose choice has helped universalise their shared attributes," the minister asserted.
"The immediate region and beyond value an emerging 'first responder' and contributor to global goods. And on the big stage, a multi-vector approach engages the Quad and BRICS, Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Iran and the Global North and South. This is the brand of Vishwa Bandhu," he said.
