Congress MP Deepender Hooda joined the humor after a viral post confused him with former badminton star Prakash Padukone amid protests in Delhi.
The Viral Mix-Up
A post on X showed a video of Hooda and fellow Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi during protests against alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The protesters demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The post humorously claimed that Padukone was out on the streets while his son-in-law Ranveer Singh was a silent spectator.
Despite clarifications that the post was ironic, it went viral due to the mix-up between the two men.
Deepender Hooda’s Witty Response
Responding on Friday, Hooda joked that neither Deepika Padukone nor Ranveer Singh had contacted him, and Prakash Padukone had not asked for his face back.
Hooda said, “Deepika has not called to check how I am doing after the police crackdown. Ranveer Singh has not called either. And Prakash Padukone has not called to ask for his face back. Still — glad to be promoted as an All England Badminton Champion, I choose to take this as respect.”
Context of the Protests
The protests came amid increased scrutiny of celebrities’ silence on political matters. In July, social media users had urged celebrities to speak out during nationwide protests over alleged NEET-UG paper leaks and calls for the Education Minister’s resignation.
The current protests were sparked by a report alleging discrepancies in the SIR process, including actions by the Election Commission of India without the knowledge of certain Election Commissioners and changes to voter registration forms.
Protest Actions and Government Response
The Congress-led INDIA bloc organised joint protests, with Opposition MPs demonstrating in Delhi for three days to demand the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation.
The Cockroach Janta Party also planned a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on 10 October, but key leaders were detained upon arrival. Protesters could not reach the site due to a heavy police presence, deploying around 23,000 personnel. Authorities closed 45 metro stations, limited train arrivals at major stations, activated internet jammers, imposed prohibitory orders, and set up barricades to maintain order in Central Delhi.
