Actress defends meeting during election campaign, denies prior knowledge of Maulana’s views
Mumbai- Bollywood actress Swara Bhaskar, known for her outspoken views and recent political engagement, has found herself at the centre of a controversy. The matter arose after her husband, Fahad Ahmed, shared pictures of their meeting with Maulana Sajjad Nomani on social media during the Maharashtra election campaign.
In a post shared on social media, Fahad Ahmed wrote, “Sir Hazrat Maulana Sajjad Nomani Sahib appeared in his service and he blessed us with prayers.” However, the post quickly went viral, with some social media users labelling Maulana Nomani a “polarising” and “sectarian” figure, triggering backlash against Swara Bhaskar.
Speaking to BBC Hindi about the incident, Swara explained, “This meeting took place long ago during the election campaign. Fahad had asked our social media manager to post this picture, and he did so. No one had any idea that such a big controversy would arise over this picture.”
Swara went on to clarify her position, stating, “This was my first meeting with Maulana Sajjad Nomani, and I was not aware of any of his past opinions or comments. I only read about them later when the controversy began.”
Social media criticism intensified after an account named “The Muslim” on platform X (formerly Twitter) accused Swara of contradicting herself. The post read: “Swara Bhaskar called Maulana Sajjad Nomani a polarising and sectarian figure, even though Maulana had sought votes for her husband during the election campaign.”
Addressing the criticism, Swara defended her actions, stating, “We met many people during the election, who had different views. Maulana Nomani was such a person, but we met many people on both sides who could be considered polarising.”
The controversy has deepened with divided public opinion. While some have criticised Swara’s remarks, viewing them as a misstep against her political strategy, others have labelled the backlash as unnecessary, defending the actress’s right to engage with a range of perspectives during the campaign.
The debate around Maulana Sajjad Nomani’s role in the campaign and Swara’s subsequent clarification has once again highlighted the challenges of navigating public opinion in the age of social media.