Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Aug 27: Actor Shweta Tiwari has clarified that the man who allegedly abused her online was not a Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) worker, while thanking MNS chief Raj Thackeray and his team for swiftly acting on her complaint.

In an Instagram Stories post on Thursday, the 45-year-old actor said a member of Thackeray's team contacted her after she raised the issue and helped identify the person who had allegedly sent her abusive messages.

A few days earlier, Shweta had alleged that she was receiving derogatory messages on Instagram from people identifying themselves as Marathis and supporters of Raj Thackeray. She had shared screenshots of the profiles involved and questioned Thackeray over whether such behaviour was acceptable from people claiming to support him.

Explaining the subsequent developments, Shweta said she had posted the screenshots because she believed people who behaved in such a manner should not feel they could act without consequences.

She said an MNS advocate contacted her soon after she raised the issue.

“Within just three days, she shared the phone number of the person involved. And also a handwritten apology letter by him,” Shweta said.

The actor thanked advocate Snehal Adarkar and the MNS team for investigating the matter, identifying the person responsible and getting back to her without her having to repeatedly follow up.

Shweta said she also appreciated the MNS team's assurance that insults against women would not be taken lightly.

She added that Adarkar had told her she could contact the team if she faced a similar problem in the future.

In a screenshot shared by Shweta, the advocate also clarified that the individual who allegedly abused her online was not associated with the MNS party.

While appreciating the action taken, Shweta said the larger problem was much broader than one individual.

The actor pointed out that while identifying and confronting a few offenders was possible, millions of people continued to engage in online abuse while feeling protected by the anonymity of their screens.

She said action against a few individuals alone would not change the mindset that enables people to abuse women online without fearing consequences.

Shweta also called on social media and technology platforms to urgently address the growing problem of unchecked online harassment.

She concluded by thanking Raj Thackeray for taking her concern seriously and said the swift response made her feel that the matter had been genuinely acknowledged.

Shweta was last seen in ‘The Traitors Season 2’, where she was evicted in the seventh episode after being identified as an innocent contestant.