Sunitha Upadrasta Clarifies Controversial Feminism Remarks Following Backlash: 'My Values Remain Unchanged'

Telugu singer Sunitha Upadrasta landed in controversy over her remarks on feminism and equality in a recent interview. She said if women believe it’s her body, it's her choice, and men can also believe it’s his eyes, his choice. This sparked a massive backlash on social media.

Upadrasta has backed her remark, saying it was made out of "sheer anger and disappointment at the way some lecherous men perceive women".

What Sunitha Upadrasta said about her remark on feminism

Addressing public backlash on Instagram Stories, Sunitha Upadrasta wrote that her comment "was never intended to justify, encourage or normalise disrespect, judgement, exploitation, or any inappropriate behaviour towards women."

Defends her personal stance on women's rights.

"As a woman I strongly believe in equal rights, equal opportunities, dignity, and respect for women. I would never support or tolerate anything that harms or demeans another woman. I request that my words be understood in the context in which they were spoken and not be assigned meanings I never intended. My values remain unchanged: equality, respect, and zero tolerance for exploitation and injustice towards women," she wrote further.

Have a look at her post here.

About Sunitha's feminism remark controversy

In an interview with Gulte, when Sunitha was asked for her opinion on the fight for equality, she said, "Women think the cigarette light is their torch for freedom. It is the stupidest thing in the world to equate cigarette smoking with equality. If a man smokes, he might lose just minutes, but a woman will lose hours of her life."

She also said that today's debates on equality surprise her and the singer called it a waste of time.

"If you think freedom is to wear whatever you want, you’re being foolish. That’s not feminism at all. It is to value my opinions as much as a man's, and if I am treated well, that’s important," she said further.

When the host said that "my body, my right" is a strong modern feminist slogan today, Sunitha, sharing the opinion, said, "My body, my right. And his eyes, his right. When women say it, then it’s his right too."