ISLAMABAD 07 August (Online): Celina Jaitly opened up about her ordeal after a ‘self-proclaimed Pakistani journalist’ shared derogatory tweets about her and how she has been coping with it.
A few months ago, ‘a self-proclaimed Hindi film critic and journalist’ from Pakistan Umair Sandhu had shared derogatory tweets about actor Celina Jaitly, and claimed that she ‘slept with both father (Feroz Khan) and son (Fardeen Khan) many times’. In a new interview with India Today, Celina opened up about when and why she decide to file an official complaint with National Commission of Woman (NCW), and how Twitter (now X) ‘did nothing’ to stop the man’s ‘baseless, untrue character assassination via his tweets’.
Twitter claimed no issues with his tweets
Celina told India Today that on April 12, 2023 she filed an official complaint with NCW, adding, “This person created the fake viral content maligning me, thousands of people, including myself, lodged a complaint with Twitter to ban his account. Twitter’s auto-generated responses claimed no issues with all his tweets, encouraging him to go on a horrifying spree of baseless, untrue, character assassination via his tweets. He made multiple tweets at my expense, garnering him massive views the whole day, and Twitter still did not do anything… The height of stupidity is that some of the most reputable and credible media outlets report on the lies spread by a Pakistani imposter… He might as well be an ISI agent who is trying to infiltrate the Indian media outlets.”
Celina said she had no idea who Umair Sandhu was until April 11, 2023, when her ‘Twitter account blew up’ and she saw ‘horrific and viral content’ about her that he had generated. Celina said she was tagged by hundreds of people, who brought her attention to Umair Sandhu’s ‘bizarre claims’. She slammed him for making content that ‘is nothing short of online violence just for personal gain’.
Celina on why she sought NCW’s help
Further speaking about how the self-proclaimed journalist ‘was hiding in Pakistan’, taking legal recourse was not possible for her even as continued to ‘assault her with verbal violence’. Celina said that after much deliberation, she took the matter to the NCW in India. She added that she doesn’t know what the laws in Pakistan are, but is hopeful that laws against cyberbullying are stringent there.
Celina said in the same interview, “I am very grateful that MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) has responded with full support. We need to understand that all processes have their protocols and even my complaint must go through its due process. I have attached MEA’s response to Ms Rekha Sharma, Chairperson, NCW. I will wait for the process to take its due course. I do not know what the laws in Pakistan are, but I am sure the laws for protection of women against cyberbullying, verbal and mental abuse, character assassination are stringent and the Pakistan High Commission will act in accordance with their country’s laws against such crimes.”
Umair Sandhu’s tweets against Celina
Earlier this year, Umair Sandhu wrote in a tweet, “Celina Jaitley is the only actress in Bollywood who slept with both father (Feroz Khan) and son (Fardeen Khan) many times.”
Late actor-filmmaker Feroz Khan gave Celina her big break alongside his son, Fardeen Khan in Janasheen, which released in 2003.
Celina had responded to Umair Sandhu’s tweet in July, “A few months ago, a self-proclaimed Hindi film critic and journalist from Pakistan named Umair Sandhu took to Twitter to make viral untrue horrific claims about me which included bizarre allegations like my relations with both my mentor Feroz Khan and his son Fardeen, in addition he made claims targeting me and my family’s safety and security even in Austria. My response to his harassment and fake claims from Pakistan went viral and garnered support from millions of Twitterati including Pakistani nationals who were appalled at his behaviour…”
She also took the opportunity to thank NCW, especially NCW chief Rekha Sharma and NCW member Khushbu Sundar.
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