Enraged over controversial comments about Army personnel by social media influencer Ishita Pundeer, several individuals, Army personnel, and the Congress general secretary filed complaints with the Sirmaur police and sought action against her.
Targeting Pundeer, people lashed out with adverse comments and termed her post malicious. “The Army personnel are our pride and we all respect them. This post is insulting for women too, as army personnel include our brothers,” commented Mamta Bhardwaj.
Pundeer took to Facebook to criticise Army personnel in a video where she said, “Army men are not loyal to their girlfriends or their wives. They are definitely loyal to their nation, but they can never be loyal to their girlfriends or their wives.
I’ve heard of many such cases and girls will agree with me, as 90 per cent of them are not loyal. I’m not talking about all of them. Though I have not had any such experience, when they come on leave they have four to five girlfriends,” stressed the social media influencer.
Another person, Manmohan Singh, expressed his anger and said the malicious post had hurt the respect of Army personnel and he would register an FIR against her.
In his complaint to the Dadahu police in the Renuka Ji assembly segment, Bhupinder Singh demanded registration of a case for defamation against Pundeer for besmirching the image of Army personnel.
He termed her post mischievous, saying it could create doubt in the minds of the wives of army personnel who come home after six months.
SP Sirmaur Nishchint Negi said, “Several complaints have been received by the Sirmaur police against Ishita Pundeer’s social media post and it is being investigated. Appropriate action will be taken as per law.”
The Rajgarh-based Sainik Welfare Association also wrote to the police, besides a complaint being made by Yadupati Thakur, general secretary, Pradesh Congress Committee.
All complaints have been clubbed by the police as they initiated the probe. Ishita Pundeer has 3.5 million-plus followers on Facebook and 10.9 lakh followers on Instagram.
She is known to be a Pahadi lifestyle creator who displays various aspects of pahadi life. She hails from Deva Manal village in the Nohradhar area of Sirmaur district.
She later tendered an apology after facing adverse backlash on social media and tried to downplay the malicious post by stating, “It is human to err and I regret the post. One should accept one’s mistake. I also apologise to those whom I have hurt.”
