Indian actress turned politician, Nusrat Jahan got criticised by a Muslim cleric for celebrating Durga Puja, a Hindu festival and she was quick to respond back.
The All India Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member Nusrat Jahan on Monday hit back at the Muslim cleric who criticised her for celebrating Durga puja.
The Muslim cleric is based in the city of Deoband in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
He had slammed Jahan for participating in Hindu rituals and said that she should change her name and religion because she is defaming Islam and Muslims because of her conduct, news magazine India Today reported.
Replying to him, Jahan said that the cleric had no right to ask her to change her name. She said that it was not a matter of religion but that of celebration.
"Those who have not given me my name...do not have any right to ask me to change it," Jahan was quoted as saying by India Today.
"This is not a matter of Hindu or Muslim...My message to clerics...relax a bit...happy puja," she added.
Jahan also said that clerics are bringing in politics into the matter and said “this is a time of celebration...not about politics only.”
Jahan had married Hindu businessman Nikhil Jain earlier this year and has been under fire from the Muslim clergy in India. She is also criticised for regularly sporting symbols of Hinduism.
Commenting on the exchange the cleric and Jahan had, her husband, Jain, said: "I think these people have always been given a reply by Nusrat...and they will keep getting the same."
Jahan attended the festivities on Sunday wearing a saree, and Jain shared a video from the event on his Instagram page, @nikhiljain09.Indian actress turned politician, Nusrat Jahan got criticised by a Muslim cleric for celebrating Durga Puja and she responded.
