Kannada actor alleges moral policing by Cong leader

Actor Samyuktha Hegde and two of her friends were subjected to moral policing while they were working out in a park in Bengaluru. AICC member and Congress spokesperson Kavitha Reddy reportedly abused and ridiculed the trio.

Bengaluru: Kannada movie actor Samyuktha Hegde alleged moral policing and harassment by Congress leader Kavitha Reddy when she was out with her friends at Agara lake in the city.

"We were abused and ridiculed by Kavitha Reddy at Agara Lake. There are witnesses and more video evidence, I request you to look into this. #this is wrong," tweeted Hegde tagging Bengaluru Police Commissioner and the city police official's Twitter account.

"The future of our country reflects on what we do today," she added.

Image Source: Twitter

In a 16-minute long video, Hegde cried: "Guys please help us. We were doing our hoops, they are just trying to get attention. She (Reddy) tried to hit us, we have video proof of her trying to hit us and it is wrong. This is wrong. People trying to attack somebody just because they were doing something in public like hoop is just wrong."

The actor was seen speaking in both Kannada and English while some men were raising slogans against the actor, trying to link her to the drugs case currently embroiling the Kannada film industry.

"These are the girls who are acting too smart," said Reddy while trying to shoot the video as another unidentified girl from Hegde's group could be heard saying here is a lady who abuses young people.

Following the incident, Reddy charged at one of the girls as if to hit her with her right hand but stopped short as the girl managed to dodge her amid cries of shock and outrage from Hegde and others as the video ends there.

Identifying herself as an All India Congress Committee (AICC) member, Karnataka Congress spokesperson, Reddy lashed out at the film actor on social media later.

"I got called bloody ***** by some psycho B-grade celebrity and public stripper Samyuktha Hegde for standing up for guards who were abused by her, the day starts and ends," tweeted Reddy about the incident.

The Congress leader alleged that Hegde abused a park guard.

"So stripping off in public for no real reason but only to do a live video and avoid going to police station is some great deed? Abusing a poor guard who works all day long is the behaviour of so-called celebrity? Calling someone bloody bitch for telling rules is cool?" asked Reddy.

"When the celebrity status becomes high, the misbehaviour starts. She is not new to tamasha, kindly include that she not only abused guards but also was playing music even after being told about the rules of the park," she added.

"Elite high-class mentality who can't follow rules but will abuse for stating rules. These psychos should be in jail along with Ragini," said Reddy referring to another actor Ragini Dwivedi who was arrested on Friday by the Central Crime Branch for her alleged links in the ongoing drugs scandal.

She even continued to criticize the actor on Twitter all through Saturday.