Author Chetan Bhagat has issued a statement on the ongoing tiff between him and reality TV star Uorfi Javed. Saying that his controversial comment was taken out of context, Mr Bharat wrote on Twitter, "I told guys to focus on fitness and their career and not waste their time on Instagram. Apparently, that's not ok! So they cut my statement, say it out of context, the headline with adding things I never said and do a click-bait piece with ageism thrown in too. Of course."
The controversy began when Mr Bhagat, while speaking at a literary event organised by a media house, mentioned Uorfi Javed's name while asserting that young people these days spend a lot of time on Instagram.
"Phone has been a great distraction for the youth, especially the boys, spending hours just watching Instagram Reels. Everyone knows who Uorfi Javed is. What will you do with her photos? Is it coming in your exams or you will go for a job interview and tell the interviewer that you know all her outfits?" he said at the event.
He added, "On one side, there is a youth who is protecting our nation at Kargil and on another side, we have another youth who is seeing Uorfi Javed's photos hiding in their blankets."
Uorfi Javed slammed the author and said she was dragged unnecessarily into the conversation.
She wrote on Instagram stories, "Men like him will always blame the women than accept their own shortcomings. Stop promoting rape culture you sickos out there. Blaming women's clothes for the behaviour of men is so 80s Mr Chetan Bhagat."
Additionally, she also put up screenshots of Mr Bhagat's allegedly leaked WhatsApp messages from the #MeToo movement in 2018.
Mr Bhagat dismissed the allegations and wrote on Twitter, "Have never spoken to/chatted with/met/ known someone where it's being spread that I have done so. It's fake. a lie. also a Non-issue. Haven't criticised anyone. And I also think there's nothing wrong in telling people to stop wasting time on Instagram and focus on fitness and career (sic)."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
