Chennai police summons actor Siddharth over lewd remark against Saina Nehwal

Chennai (Tamil Nadu): The Chennai Police Commissioner on Thursday said that actor Siddharth has been summoned in connection to his lewd remark against badminton ace Saina Nehwal over PM Modi's security breach in Punjab. Chennai Police Commissioner Shankar Jival informed that the summon was issued to the actor following the complaint lodged by the Hyderabad Police.

"Actor Siddharth has been summoned (over his controversial tweet on badminton player Saina Nehwal). We've actually received 2 complaints; another one is on defamation in a legal frame, not a criminal case. We only need his statement," said Jiwal.

"Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are thinking about how to get the statement. We have summoned actor Siddharth", confirmed the Chennai Police Commissioner.

Last week, the actor, in a tweet, had reacted to a post by Saina in which she had expressed her concern over the security breach of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Punjab visit on January 5.

In the controversial tweet, which is now deleted, Siddharth had written: "Subtle cock champion of the world… Thank God we have protectors of India. Shame on you #Rihanna." He was responding to Saina's tweet that read: "No nation can claim itself to be safe if the security of its own PM gets compromised. I condemn, in the strongest words possible, the cowardly attack on PM Modi by anarchists. #BharatStandsWithModi #PMModi." Last year, Rihanna tweeted in support of the farmers' protests.

Siddharth's tweet was widely criticised as 'sexist', prompting a response from even Saina Nehwal, following which the actor issued a letter of apology late night on January 11.

Siddharth's letter on Twitter read, "Dear Saina, I want to apologise to you for my rude joke that I wrote as a response to a tweet of yours, a few days ago. I may disagree with you on many things but even my disappointment or anger when I read your tweet, cannot justify my tone and words. I know I have more grace in me than that. As for the joke... If a joke needs to be explained, then it wasn't a very good joke to begin with. Sorry about a joke that didn't land."