Irani hits out at Deepika for JNU visit, says she stood with those who want destruction of India

Attacking Bollywood star Deepika Padukone for her visit to JNU, Union minister Smriti Irani has said the actor chose to stand next to people who wanted the "destruction of India".

Deepika on Tuesday made a surprise visit to the Jawaharlal Nehru University to express solidarity with students who were attacked by a masked mob inside the campus on January 5. She did not address the public meeting but stood silently behind student leaders.

According to Irani, Deepika had made her political affiliations known in 2011 itself when she praised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and called him a suitable candidate for the post of the prime minister.

"I think I would rather know what her political affiliation is than not know. I think that anybody who has read the news knew where you are going to stand... (They) knew that you are going to stand with people who wanted the destruction of India, knew that you are standing with people who celebrate every time a CRPF jawan is killed," Irani said at an event hosted by The New Indian Express here on Thursday evening.

The video of the minister's remarks was posted on the publication's Twitter handle.

"... They hit some girls on their private parts with 'lathis'. So she stood next to them. That is her right. I can't deny her that right. She will stand next to people who will beat up other girls, who don't see eye-to-eye ideologically, in private parts. That's her freedom. She made her political affiliation known in 2011 that she supports the Congress party," the minister said.

The Textiles minister added that people who admired the Bollywood star's work are in shock over her decision to visit the JNU campus.

"I think the problem that has happened is that a lot of people are in shock. They didn't know. There were a lot of people who were admirers and possibly watched many of her films and for them it was a shock."