Title: Khushbu Refuses to Apologize for “Slum” Comment, Defends Record of National Commission for Women
Chennai: Khushbu, a member of the National Commission for Women and a prominent actress, has refused to apologize for her controversial “slum” comment and defended the actions of the commission in a recent interview at Chennai airport.
The controversy stemmed from a discussion on a website regarding a dispute between actress Trisha and actor Mansoor Ali Khan. Khushbu was questioned about the Manipur issue and reportedly responded, “Speaking in slum language cannot be answered,” which sparked outrage.
However, in her interview at the airport, Khushbu stood by her comments and clarified, “I have put it clearly in my social media post. I had given that record to the DMK. But the Congress took it up and declared the protest in front of my house a siege.”
Khushbu also addressed the criticism of her use of the word “slum,” stating, “So there is no mistake in what I said. Thus, I will not regret it. One thing I talked about; They misrepresent it. No matter what region people belong to, they have every right to sit and live as equals to us.”
She defended the actions of the National Commission for Women, saying, “For the Manipur incident, the National Commission for Women had already taken action in May. We took action only after receiving a complaint about actress Trisha. Actress Gayatri Raghuram has not filed any complaint with us yet. Actress Roja, an Andhra minister, has written to us about the damage she has suffered. We immediately took action.”
Khushbu also refuted claims that she would delete her social media posts, saying, “I am not going to delete my current posts. Action has been taken on the complaints given by sportswomen, BJP, MP.”
In addition, she highlighted the work of the National Commission for Women in Tamil Nadu, stating, “In Tamil Nadu, from November last year to this November, our commission has received complaints that 450 scheduled caste women have been affected. Against how many complaints, the Liberation Tigers have raised their voices.”
Concluding the interview, Khushbu questioned the sudden attention on the National Commission for Women, saying, “National Commission for Women has been around for many years. But now you are all talking about the National Commission for Women only after I became a member. Why haven’t you spoken yet?”