Indian actor Siddharth, known for his performance in the movie 'Rang De Basanti', is facing a severe backlash for the usage of an alleged sexual innuendo in his reply to badminton champion Saina Nehwal and referring to her as "Subtle c*ck champion of the world".
Nehwal had earlier tweeted about the security threat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to Punjab state wherein his convoy was stuck on a flyover for 20 minutes due to a blockade by protesting farmers.
"No Nation can claim itself to be safe if the security of its own PM gets compromised. I condemn, in the strongest words possible, the cowardly attack on PM Modi by anarchists (sic)," Nehwal tweeted.
The 42-year-old actor Siddharth replied to Nehwal's tweet, saying "Subtle c*ck champion of the world... Thank God we have protectors of India. Shame on you #Rihanna (sic)."
His remark didn't go down well with netizens, who took to social media, slamming the actor and demanding an apology.
However, Siddharth claimed that he didn't do anything disrespectful as he was allegedly referring to the 'Cock and Bull' idiom which means an unbelievable tale that is intended to deceive.
India's National Commission of Women (NCW) has also hit out at the actor and sent him a notice for his "derogatory" and "misogynist" remark.
Calling it unacceptable, NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma has complained to the police and also urged Twitter India to block the actor's account.
Netizens along with Shiv Sena politician Priyanka Chaturvedi, singer Chinmayi Sripaada, and many others have also criticised the actor.