Kerala: Dancer-actress Shobana faces flak on social media for attending PM Modi's Thrissur event

Actress and dancer Shobana received backlash on social media for attending Prime Minister Narendra Modi's event in Thrissur on Wednesday (Jan 3). She praised the Modi government's passing of the Women's Reservation Bill and thanked the BJP for allowing her to share the stage with him. 

Thrissur: Renowned actress and dancer Shobana along with several other women personalities attended the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) women empowerment conference on Wednesday (Jan 3) in Thrissur's Thekkinkadu Maidanam. The two-time national award-winning actress said that it was the first time in her life that she had seen so many women attending a single event.

Maryakutty, who carried out a protest with a pitch pot, Indian Olympic Association President P T Usha MP, Indian women's cricket team's Kerala player Minnumani, singer Vaikom Vijayalakshmi, Textile magnate Beena Kannan and others participated in the event. 

In the event, Sobhana also said that the Central government's Women's Reservation Bill echoes determination. She also thanked the organisers for allowing her to share the stage with PM Modi and also thanked him for passing the bill.

Meanwhile, several social media users have criticised her participation in PM Modi's event and termed her a 'Sanghi'. Her Facebook post is also flooded with comments disapproving her support to the Prime Minister.

One user wrote on X, 'Damn. Shobana there. I like her dance. Artists would have achieved so much more if only they stayed away from politics. A personal disappointment."

Another user wrote, "Shobana is getting cancelled and how! Enjoying the meltdown."

However, it is pertinent to note that Shobana earlier attended the LDF-led Pinarayi government's Keraleeyam programme in November 2023 along with Mammootty, Mohanlal and Kamal Haasan. At the event, Sobhana said that she belonged to Thiruvananthapuram where such programmes and festivals take place at large. 

PM Modi addressed the Bharatiya Janata Party's Mahila Conference ( Shree Shakthi Modikkoppam) at Thenkinkadu Maidanam in Thrissur. 

PM Narendra Modi stated that after independence, the LDF and UDF governments considered 'Nari Shakti' as weak and they put on hold the law that could give reservations to women in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha for so long but the government will guarantee to give you your rights. Till the Congress and Left Alliance governments were in the country, Muslim sisters were suffering because of triple talaq, but Modi gave them the guarantee of freedom and fulfilled it sincerely. He also stated that 'Nari Shakthi' is the biggest guarantee for a developed India.