Actress Kasthuri Shankar facing backlash over controversial anti-Telugu community remarks goes missing

South Indian actress Kasthuri Shankar is currently reported to be missing after inflammatory remarks made by her about the Telugu community during a public event in Tamil Nadu. Her comments, which suggested that Telugu people are descendants of courtesans who served ancient kings, which led to outrage and multiple legal complaints against her in Chennai and Madurai.

As per a report by News18, following her statements, which were perceived as derogatory, the police took swift action. Legal notices were sent to her residence, but when officers arrived, they found the house locked. Reports indicate that Kasthuri is currently missing, with her phone switched off and her whereabouts unknown.

The Egmore police in Chennai have filed charges against her under several provisions of the Bharat Nagrik Suraksha Samhita. The backlash on social media was immediate and intense, with many condemning her remarks and demanding accountability.

In an attempt to ease the situation, Kasthuri issued a statement on social media, expressing that she never meant to offend the Telugu community and apologizing for any hurt caused. She claimed that her comments were misinterpreted and specifically targeted a historical group rather than the entire community.

Despite her apology, Kasthuri defended her original statements in subsequent media interviews, alleging that the protests against her were politically motivated and aimed at exposing what she described as hypocrisy within the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party. She insisted that she holds affection for the Telugu people, whom she referred to as family.
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