Pooja Vastrakar Shares Image Mocking BJP Leaders; Deletes It Later & Apologises

Indian cricketer Pooja Vastrakar said she did not have her phone when the image mocking BJP leaders were shared.

Indian cricketer Pooja Vastrakar had shared a controversial image featuring prominent BJP leaders.

(Photo: BCCI & Instagram)

Indian women’s cricket team’s pacer Pooja Vastrakar found herself embroiled in controversy on Friday, 29 March, after sharing a post mocking prominent leaders of the ruling party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The cricketer has since deleted the controversial image and has issued an apology.

What Was the Image?

The image which was shared by Vaskatar takes a dig at the ruling party, featuring eleven BJP leaders resembling a cricket team, titled: ‘Vasooli Titans.’ The 24-year-old uploaded the image on her Instagram story. Accompanying the image was a controversial caption that read ‘Impact played: ED,’ alluding to the Directorate of Enforcement.

The image that Pooja Vastrakar had shared.

Where Is the Image Originally From?

The image was posted by the party in opposition, Indian National Congress (INC), on their social media channels on 27 March. Alongside Modi, the image features key BJP figures like Amit Shah, JP Nadda, Rajnath Singh, and also the Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports, Anurag Thakur.

What Did Pooja Vastrakar Say in Her Clarification Update?

Vastrakar has now deleted the story, and also issued a clarification, where she called the image ‘highly objectionable’ and also stated that it was shared when her phone was not in her position, apologizing to the Prime Minister for ‘causing hurt.’

Hi. It has come to my attention that a highly objectionable image was posted from my Instagram account. This happened at a time that my phone was not in my possession. I have nothing but the utmost respect for the Honorable Prime Minister and sincerely apologise for the hurt this has caused.

Pooja Vastrakar