Akshay Kumar, who has been doing the rounds to promote his film Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, specially mentioned the Chandigarh stalking incident to highlight the need for women to empower themselves.
On Sunday, Akshay and his co-star Bhumi Pednekar attended the graduation ceremony of a women’s self-defence workshop in Mumbai. The actor read out a specific portion of Varnika Kundu’s blog in which she had written about being stalked by BJP chief Subhash Barala's son Vikas Barala and his friend Ashish Kumar.
Akshay looked up the blog on his mobile phone and read out a part in which Varnika asked girls to be vigilant:
Ladies please be proactive about your own safety. Note the number of any vehicle that tries to harass you, don’t be afraid to call the cops. The minute it starts call your parents, friends, if possible and let them know where you are and the situation you are in. Try and run in the safest way possible, your life is paramount. You girls have to empower yourselves.Akshay Kumar
Earlier, Akshay’s sister, Alka, had posted a video on the actor’s Facebook page, in which, she said that while growing up, Akshay made it clear to her that rather than protecting her, he wanted her to take care of herself. Alka spoke about growing up with a brother who empowered her with his stubborn streak.
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