New Delhi: Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel on Friday compared Kashmiri teenage actor Zaira Wasim with a painting of a woman in hijab and another caged, prompting the “Dangal” star to rebuff the BJP leader for “discourteous depiction” and a wrong comparison.
“This painting tells a story similar to Zaira Wasim,” Goel wrote on Twitter and also posted the picture of a woman wearing a black hijab covering her face in the foreground in a birdcage.
The picture was taken at the India Art Fest Goel inaugurated at Thyagraj Stadium in Delhi on Thursday.
“Our daughters are breaking the cages to pursue education. More power to our daughters,” he wrote and tagged the Kashmiri teenage star.
Zaira ridiculed Goel’s comparison and said the painting was not even remotely relevant to her.
“Sir, with all respect to you, I feel I must disagree. I request you not to connect me to such a discourteous depiction,” the 16-year-old actor responded.
This painting tells a story similar to @zairawasim, पिंजरा तोड़ कर हमारी बेटियां बढ़ने लगी हैं आगे | More power to our daughters!
2/2 pic.twitter.com/RaolLKrZeg— Vijay Goel (@VijayGoelBJP) January 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/zairawasim/status/822323369764798464
https://twitter.com/zairawasim/status/822323658173493248
https://twitter.com/zairawasim/status/822323776280924161
You have interpreted wrong. I appreciated your work and stated that evil and patriarchal notions must be discouraged. https://t.co/OPBy5EZifN
— Vijay Goel (@VijayGoelBJP) January 20, 2017
I'm afraid you still haven't understood. But I wish you all the very best and appreciate your work. Hope to meet & interact too. https://t.co/h2RK3K3zIB
— Vijay Goel (@VijayGoelBJP) January 20, 2017
“Women in hijab are beautiful and free. Moreover, the story depicted through this painting is not even remotely relevant to mine,” she said in a series of tweets. The tweets were, however, not found on her timeline later.
Goel replied: “You have interpreted wrong. I appreciated your work and stated that evil and patriarchal notions must be discouraged.
“I’m afraid you still haven’t understood. But I wish you all the very best and appreciate your work. Hope to meet and interact too,” he added.
Zaira didn’t respond to the Minister’s tweets.
Zaira, who played the role of younger Geeta Phogat — Commonwealth gold medallist — in Aamir Khan-starrer “Dangal”, was trolled online last week for meeting Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
She had posted an apologetic statement on her Facebook page, saying she had unintentionally hurt people’s sentiments, but the post, too, was later deleted.