Netizens have strongly objected to Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut's remarks against farmers who are protesting against the Narendra Modi government's farm bills.
In a tweet, later deleted, Kangana posted a photograph of an elderly female protester at the ongoing demonstration and suggested that the same lady had been dressed as a Muslim protester during demonstrations against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh.
The actress's tweet also mocked the elderly lady, saying protesters like her are easily available and can be hired for INR 100 ($1.36).
Kangana's claims set Twitter abuzz, with netizens slamming the controversy-prone Bollywood star for what she said. A hashtag, "Dadi se maafi maang, Kangana" in Hindi, which translates as "Seek forgiveness from the grandmother, Kangana", has been trending on Twitter for the past few hours.
During the nationwide demonstrations against the so-called Citizenship Law and the National Register of Citizens brought in by the BJP government, an elderly lady, Bilkis Bano, became the face of the protests as TIME magazine named her among the top 100 influential persons in 2020.
The elderly lady in the farm protests happens to bear a resemblance to Bano, prompting many social media users to share the images of both women, claiming that this was the same person.
However, other netizens could discern the reality.
Many have attacked the actress's closeness to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party suggesting that that is the reason she is poking fun at those who are protesting against Modi government's farm laws.
Twitter users questioned Kangana's language and wondered whether she believed that every Modi opponent had a price tag.