Indian actor faces sedition case for saying 'Pakistan is not hell'
Her remarks come after the Indian defence minister said 'going to Pakistan is like going to hell'
PHOTO: TWITTER
A sedition case has been filed against actor-politician Divya Spandana for "anti-national" comments.
"Pakistan is not hell. People there are just like us. They treated us very well," she had said after attending a South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) event. Her statement came after Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's recently remarked that "going to Pakistan is like going to hell."
Going to Pakistan same as 'going to hell', says Indian defence minister
Katnamane Vittal Gowda, a lawyer filed the complaint against Spandana. He said he was "appalled" by her statement, which he dubbed "anti-national". The Kannada actor, who has been associated with the Indian National Congress since 2011, had visited Islamabad in connection with a SAARC meeting of young parliamentarians.
In reaction to the filed complaint, Spandana, who goes by the name Ramya, asserted that there was "no question of apologising" and that she was "entitled to freedom of speech."
While Kashmir burns, Indian PM rakes up Balochistan
"It's important that the sedition law gets repealed. [I] didn't do anything wrong. Pakistanis are good people, just like us," she said, adding that she did not blame anyone because "people are very passionate about nationalism".
Earlier, Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had criticised Pakistan and said visiting the nation was like “going to hell”. His remarks came amid rising tensions between the neighbouring states.
Many took to Twitter in support for the actress.
This article originally appeared on Scroll
"Pakistan is not hell. People there are just like us. They treated us very well," she had said after attending a South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) event. Her statement came after Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's recently remarked that "going to Pakistan is like going to hell."
Going to Pakistan same as 'going to hell', says Indian defence minister
Katnamane Vittal Gowda, a lawyer filed the complaint against Spandana. He said he was "appalled" by her statement, which he dubbed "anti-national". The Kannada actor, who has been associated with the Indian National Congress since 2011, had visited Islamabad in connection with a SAARC meeting of young parliamentarians.
In reaction to the filed complaint, Spandana, who goes by the name Ramya, asserted that there was "no question of apologising" and that she was "entitled to freedom of speech."
While Kashmir burns, Indian PM rakes up Balochistan
"It's important that the sedition law gets repealed. [I] didn't do anything wrong. Pakistanis are good people, just like us," she said, adding that she did not blame anyone because "people are very passionate about nationalism".
Earlier, Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had criticised Pakistan and said visiting the nation was like “going to hell”. His remarks came amid rising tensions between the neighbouring states.
Many took to Twitter in support for the actress.
This article originally appeared on Scroll