We have no business to speculate: Vidya Balan on Sushant Singh Rajput's death
New Delhi: Actor Vidya Balan says the only way in which one can honour Sushant Singh Rajput's legacy is by "keeping quiet" as he is not here to defend himself.
Rajput, known for films such as "Kai Po Che", "MS Dhoni: The Untold Story", "Chhichhore", was found dead in his Bandra apartment on June 14. He was 34.
In its initial probe, Mumbai Police said no suicide note was found on the spot.
Rajput's death sparked a discourse around mental health, the struggle of survival for outsiders in films, and monopoly of power structures, which has now been reduced to a blame game on social media.
Balan said it was unfortunate that a "bright" mind like Rajput made such a choice.
"I feel that someone chose to end his life and he didn't leave a note, outlining why he did that. So we have no business to speculate and disrespect that person's choice because he is not even here to corroborate facts. He made a choice and it's really unfortunate, because what a bright guy," she told PTI.
The 41-year-old star said though she didn't know Rajput personally, she believes there was much more to him than just being an actor.
"... what a flourishing career. I personally feel I'm no one to say what's right or wrong. But I feel whatever prompted him to end his life we don't know and we will never know. So the only way to show respect is by keeping quiet," Balan added.
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
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.
