"Will think twice before i speak my heart": Actor Sai Pallavi amid row
Mumbai, Jun 18: Actor Sai Pallavi on Saturday said her recent remarks drawing a comparison between the Kashmiri Pandits' genocide in the 1990s and recent mob lynching incidents were taken out of context.
The 30-year-old actor is currently in the middle of a controversy for remarks that she made during an interview to a Telugu YouTube channel ahead of the release of her film "Virata Parvam".
Pallavi, who works in the Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam film industries, shared a video on Instagram to clarify her comments and said her intent was not to belittle any tragedy.
"In a recent interview I was asked if I was a supporter of the left or the right wing. I clearly stated that I believe I'm neutral. We need to be good human beings first before we identify ourselves with our beliefs. The oppressed need to be protected at any cost," she said in the video.
The actor said she saw filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri's "The Kashmir Files" three months ago and was disturbed by the "plight" of Kashmiri Pandits shown in the movie.
"I remember telling him (Agnihotri) that I was disturbed seeing the plight of the people at that time. And being someone that I am, I would never belittle tragedy like the genocide and the generations of people who are still affected by it," Pallavi added.
At the same time, the actor said she "could never come to terms with the mob lynching incident during COVID times" and was "shaken" by it for days.
"I believe that violence in any form is wrong and violence in the name of any religion is a huge sin," Pallavi said.
In her comments during the interview, which has also reportedly landed the actor in legal trouble in Hyderabad, Pallavi had talked about "The Kashmir Files" and compared it with the recent incidents of lynching of suspected cow smugglers.
"The film, 'The Kashmir Files', shows how Kashmiri Pandits were killed. Recently, there was an incident of a person being killed for carrying a cow because he was suspected to be a Muslim. After killing the person, the attackers raised 'Jai Shri Ram' slogans. Where is the difference between what happened in Kashmir and what happened recently?" she had said.
In her clarification, the actor, known for films like "Premam", "Maari 2" and "Shyam Singha Roy", said it was extremely disturbing to see many people justify the mob lynching incident online.
"I don't think any of us have the right to take another person's life. Being a medical graduate, I believe that all lives are equal and all lives are important," the actor added.
"I will be thinking twice before I speak my heart because I am anxious that my words may be misinterpreted," she said.
Pallavi further said she hopes that in future no person in the country has to be "scared of his or her identity".
"I hope a day doesn't come when a child is born and he or she is scared of his or her identity. And I pray that we are not heading towards that, at least. Fourteen years of my life, my school life, I remember everyday going to school and chanting, 'All Indians are my brothers and sisters...
"We as children would never differentiate each other based on culture or caste or religion. So anytime I speak, it comes from a very neutral ground," she added.
Pallavi went on to express disappointment over the relentless online trolling she was subjected to following the interview.
"I was very surprised to see that whatever I had spoken was taken in a completely different way."
The actor also thanked those "who stood by me in the last few days".
"I felt like they knew me for who I am. So thank you so much for making me feel like I wasn't alone," she said.
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
