Equal rights activist Harish Iyer slams publication for derogatory article on Deepika Padukone, to file complaint with NCW

Bombay Times published an article on Monday justifying the video on Deepika Padukone tweeted by Times of India last week, and countering Deepika's subsequent outburst. Equal rights activist Harish Iyer responded angrily to this new stunt by the Times Group.

Shame on you Bombay Times for repeating what you did with Deepika Padukone in a bid to make a point.

I may choose to wear an underwear in a film, may choose to look sexy. But the same thing becomes vulgar and cheap if there is a picture of mine in my undies with an arrow pointing towards what bursts out of my briefs.

The difference is just as much as between Deepika choosing to make  a clean breast and keeping her breast clean.

In keeping with the same thought I feel pity for the journalist who wrote the retort today in Bombay Times. She gives impetus to trites like " aurat hi aurat ki dushman hai" (A woman is another woman's villain). Poor she. Bad day for feminism.

The arrogance of Times of India is famously infamous. While I have some absolutely lovely journalist friends there who have their heart in the right place, the brand seems to be riding on a cloud of evaporated egos. I wish the old lady of boribander, stands up against this nonsensical retort by their paper.

It is easy to say that Deepika did things for publicity as her film was releasing at the time, but in the same vein, BT does things only for publicity, in fact, it is an advertorial not a newspaper. Meaning most articles there are paid for. Irrespective of what the timing of Deepika's ire is, it is justified. 

If I were to pick a photograph of a female  journalist and say "doesn't she look sexy" it could be seen as a compliment... But if I point an arrow on her panty or breasts and say "chaddis" or "boobies"- how sexy would that be?

(Harish Iyer is a well-known equal rights activist in India. The views expressed above are the author's own)

Furthermore, Harish Iyer has told dna that he intends to file a complaint with the National Commission for Women for (in his words) "Outraging the modesty of a woman by publishing and republishing her photograph with a pointer on her breasts."

Read: dna's view on the Bombay Times article lashing out at Deepika Padukone