Union Minister for Women and Child Development on January 10 attacked Deepika Padukone for her visit to JNU, saying that the Bollywood actor chose to stand next to people who wanted the "destruction of India".
Deepika had made a surprise visit to the Jawaharlal Nehru University on January 7 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.
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.
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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."
Deepika has been in the eye of the proverbial storm after her visit to JNU, getting appreciation from the film fraternity, activists, politicians and other sectors of society but also being criticised and trolled by many on social media and elsewhere.
Earlier this week, Deepika was in Delhi to promote her latest release "Chhapaak", based on the life of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal.
With inputs from PTI
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