Vivek Oberoi gets police protection, after receiving death threats

Vivek Oberoi on Monday had tweeted a collage of three images featuring him, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, her husband Abhishek Bachchan, their daughter Aaradhya and Salman Khan.

Vivek Oberoi gets police protection, after receiving death threats

Vivek Oberoi (Pic/AFP)

Vivek Oberoi has been provided protection with two personal security officers, a police official said Wednesday evening. There were intelligence inputs about threat to the Bollywood actor, the official said. Sources said that "police protection has been provided to Vivek Oberoi on the basis of the threat he has received."

For the unversed, Vivek Oberoi on Monday had tweeted a collage of three images featuring him, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, her husband Abhishek Bachchan, their daughter Aaradhya and Salman Khan. The post referred to Salman and Aishwarya's relationship as the 'opinion poll,' Vivek and Aishwarya's affair as the 'exit poll' and her current family with husband Abhishek and daughter Aaradhya as the 'final result.'

The meme, a take on the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the results of which will be declared on Thursday, was called "crass" and "distasteful". Bollywood actor Sonam Kapoor called the meme "disgusting and classless"' in a tweet while Urmila Matondkar, who is the Congress candidate from Mumbai North, called out Oberoi for not having the courtesy of pulling down the tweet despite criticism.

Also Read: Omung Kumar on Vivek's meme controversy: Maybe the joke went too far

He deleted the tweet and apologized after receiving flak on social media. "Sometimes what appears to be funny and harmless at first glance to one, may not be so to others. I have spent the last 10 years empowering more than 2000 underprivileged girls. I can't even think of being disrespectful to any woman ever," he tweeted on Tuesday.

"Even if one woman is offended by my reply to the meme, it calls for remedial action. Apologies.. tweet deleted," the actor added.

On Tuesday, the Mumbai Mahila Congress had demanded the police to lodge an FIR under Section 509 (gestures or acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Oberoi.

"This is to bring to your attention that actor Vivek Oberoi has insulted women modesty by his statement. Being an artist, his political interference needs limitations. Now, he has disrespected womanhood for which he should be punished. Mumbai Mahila Congress workers demand an FIR under Section 509 of IPC. Therefore, please consider the issue and take serious action and do the needful," Mumbai Mahila Congress president Ajantaa R Yadav said in the letter.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) had later issued a notice to actor Oberoi demanding explanation over his tweet on the exit polls.

Also Read: Vivek Oberoi defends Aishwarya Rai-exit poll meme: What has Sonam Kapoor done for women empowerment?