(L to R) Actors Kangana Ranaut and Sonu Sood.
Credit: PTI Photos
Actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut slammed actor Sonu Sood for his stand defending a recent incident from Uttar Pradesh wherein a man making Tandoori rotis was allegedly seen spitting on the dough.
The video posted on X was apparently a reaction to Sood's post on the UP police's recent order for eateries on the 'Kanwar Yatra' route to display the names of their owners to "avoid any confusion" among the Hindu devotees or 'kanwarias'.
"There should be only one name plate on every shop : “HUMANITY”", Sood had written on his X handle, inviting criticism from many netizens who even trolled the actor for his stand on the order passed by UP police.
Actor Kangana Ranaut took to her official handle in response, where she wrote: "Next you know Sonu ji will direct his own Ramayana based on his own personal findings about God and religion. Wah kya baat hai Bollywood se ek aur Ramayana (sic)."
The Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage of devotees of Shiva, known as Kanwarias to the Hindu religious sites of Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand. The festival takes place during the monsoon month Shraawan (July -August).
Hours after Sood had reacted to the UP police order, a X user shared: "SHOCKING NEWS Bollywood actor Sonu Sood justifies spitting in people’s food. He equates spitting on food by a miscreant with Lord Ram eating Shabri’s berries. He said ‘if Lord Ram could eat Shabri’s berries, why can’t he eat rotis that have been spat upon?’ He defended the act of spitting by describing it as an act of ‘Humanity’. He said ‘Humanity must remain intact (sic)."
Another netizen commented on Sood's post over the eatery nameboard saying: "The roti smeared with spit should be "parceled" to "Sonu Sood", so that brotherhood remains intact!"
Sood reacted to the above user saying: "Our Shri Ram Ji ate the sour berries of Shabri, so why can't I eat them? Violence can be defeated by non-violence my brother Humanity must just remain intact. Jai Shri Ram," further fuelling the row.
Sood, however, later clarified his stand on the row and wrote: "I have never justified those who spit in food. It is their character which will never change. They should be given severe punishment for this. But let humanity remain humanity, friend. The time we spend in explaining to each other, we should spend that much time on the needy people!"
"By the way, let me tell you all, I am the biggest fan of the work of the UP government. Every house in UP, Bihar is my family. Remember, no matter what state, city, religion, if you need anything, let me know. The number is the same," Sood's post read.