'Kareena Kapoor is a follower of Sanatan’: Hindu Utsav Samiti Chief defends actress amid pendant controversy

Kareena Kapoor Khan is facing criticism over a piece of jewellery she wore during her Diwali celebrations, but the actor has also received support from a section of Hindu organisations. The latest voice in her defence is Chandrashekhar Tiwari, president of the Hindu Utsav Samiti, who has described Kareena as a follower of the Sanatan tradition and questioned the demand for an apology. His comments have brought another perspective to the controversy surrounding the actor's 200-year-old royal heirloom pendant, which bears a verse from the Quran.

Chandrashekhar Tiwari calls Kareena Kapoor a follower of Sanatan tradition

Chandrashekhar Tiwari has defended Kareena, saying the actor should be allowed to practise her faith despite being married to Saif Ali Khan. Speaking about the controversy, the Hindu Utsav Samiti president described her as someone who follows the Sanatan tradition and said her marriage should not affect her religious freedom.

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As per the ANI report, Tiwari suggested that Kareena and Saif may have agreed that she would retain the freedom to follow her own religion after marriage. He also referred to her participation in Diwali puja while wearing the pendant, which carries an Islamic religious inscription.

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He stated, “Kareena Kapoor is a follower of the Sanatan tradition... She may have married Saif Ali Khan. When they married, I imagine there must have been an agreement—that she would be free to continue following her own religion without any objection from him.”

" Perhaps that is why, on Diwali, she performed the Diwali puja while wearing a pendant that appears to be Islamic in nature. If it contains verses from the Quran, it rests right against her heart... There shouldn't be any objection to this... Perhaps the objection arises because it was the day of Diwali.... I don’t think Kareena Kapoor should apologise in any way...", Chandrshekhar Tiwari concluded.

Why did Kareena Kapoor receive a legal notice?

The controversy began after celebrity stylist Rhea Kapoor shared photographs of Kareena's Diwali look on social media. The actor was seen wearing a silver kaftan, a matching turban and a large emerald pendant. Rhea revealed that the jewellery included a 200-year-old kalgi associated with the Nawab of Bhopal and a 30-carat emerald belonging to the former Bhopal royal family. The emerald is engraved with Ayat-ul-Kursi, the 255th verse from Surah Al-Baqarah in the Quran.

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The heirloom came to Kareena through her husband Saif Ali Khan's family. His paternal grandmother, Sajida Sultan, was the daughter of Hamidullah Khan, the last ruling Nawab of Bhopal. The jewellery reportedly passed through generations before reaching Saif and Kareena.

On November 11, Madhya Pradesh Congress spokesperson Abbas Hafeez sent a legal notice to Kareena and Rhea over the way the Quranic inscription was presented in the photographs. The notice sought the removal of the photographs and videos featuring the pendant, along with a public apology and an assurance that the religious inscription would be treated with respect.

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Hafeez clarified that his objection was specifically about the presentation of the Quranic verse and not Kareena's clothing choices or her freedom to wear jewellery. He also stated that the notice was issued in his personal capacity and did not represent the Congress party's position.