Actor Kasturi Shankar arrested for remarks against Telugu community

Actor Kasturi Shankar was arrested in Hyderabad by Chennai Police in connection with a case involving controversial remarks she made about the Telugu-speaking community living in Tamil Nadu.
The case, filed by a Telugu association, alleges that Shankar made divisive comments during a protest on November 3, claiming, “The Telugu-speaking community came as assistants to the king’s consort and later adopted a Tamil identity.”
Shankar later issued a public apology, posting on social media: “It was never my intention to hurt or offend my Telugu extended family. I am sorry for any inadvertent ill feeling.”
She also withdrew the statements from her speech, citing the need for harmony.
Despite her apology, Tamil Nadu Police filed a case under four sections of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
The Tamil actor filed an petition in Madras High Court seeking an anticipatory bail in connection with the case filed against her by the Madurai Police. Recently, the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court denied anticipatory bail to Kasturi in a case registered against her by Madurai Police over the same issue.
Kasthuri Shankar, known for her roles in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada films, debuted in the 1991 film Aatha Un Koyilile and gained fame with Kamal Haasan’s Indian (1996) and Annamayya (1997).
She also campaigned for the BJP in Madurai ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.