Entertainment
Shweta Tiwari clarifies abusive trolls weren’t MNS members
Actress Shweta Tiwari thanked an MNS advocate for tracking down an online abuser and securing a handwritten apology, after clarifying the trolls were not actual party members.
Shweta Tiwari has clarified that the social media accounts that sent her abusive messages were not genuine MNS members, despite claiming affiliation with the party.
An MNS advocate reached out to the actress and helped track down one of the abusers, who eventually issued a handwritten apology.
“They do not take insults against women lightly… if I ever face any such problem, I can get in touch with them,” Shweta said, thanking the party for stepping in.
The advocate shared the abuser’s phone number along with the apology, resolving the situation within about three days of Shweta first speaking out.
“The problem is much bigger than one person or one incident. It is the mentality that makes people believe they can abuse women online,” she said, calling it a systemic issue.
She said online abuse against women remained a systemic issue that required stronger action from technology companies and social media platforms, not just individual apologies.
The actress, known for her long-running television career, has previously spoken out publicly against online harassment directed at women in the entertainment industry.
The resolution came within roughly three days of Shweta first raising the issue publicly, a relatively quick turnaround for this kind of online harassment complaint.
MNS’s response drew attention on social media, with several users noting the party’s swift clarification that the abusive accounts were not affiliated with it.
The episode has reignited broader conversations in India about accountability for anonymous online abuse and the role political parties play when their name is invoked by trolls.
Shweta had initially posted stories exposing abusive messages sent by social media users identifying themselves as MNS supporters, questioning whether Raj Thackeray endorsed such conduct.
An MNS advocate reached out to her within days, providing the abuser’s phone number along with a handwritten apology letter as part of the resolution.
Photo of Shweta Tiwari, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0