CHENNAI: A special team of Chennai Police on Saturday arrested actor Kasthuri Shankar from Hyderabad in connection with a case against her for alleged derogatory comments against the Telugu community.
Egmore Police had booked her on November 5 based on a complaint from a Telugu federation seeking action against the actor for her remarks. While Police were looking for Kasthuri, she had sought anticipatory bail at the Madras High Court. However, her bail plea was rejected by the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court.
After her comments drew ire, the actor issued a public apology and retracted the statement she made against the Telugu community during a meeting in Chennai.
Her comments, which referenced the historical origins of various communities, sparked widespread criticism. Reportedly questioning community classifications, she said, “Three hundred years ago, Telugu-speaking individuals who served the palace were accepted as Tamil. But who can say that Brahmins who came long ago are not Tamil.”
The statement instantly drew backlash from multiple groups, many of them demanding legal action against the actor.
After defending herself in the initial days, Kasthuri issued a public apology. “It was not my intention to offend the Telugu community. If my words have unintentionally hurt anyone, I sincerely apologise. I retract all statements made regarding the Telugu community,” she said.
She further added that she received many threats and that her opinions were contextually specific to certain persons and not general to the greater Telugu community.
While there was backlash and a police case against Kasthuri for her comments, Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) chief co-ordinator Seeman criticised the police case against the actor.