Priyanka Chopra has been in the news quite a lot these past few weeks, and not all for good reasons. The UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador found herself in hot water over her comments about the Pakistan-India dispute over Kashmir.
After a young Pakistani girl called her out on her hypocrisy at the Beautycon event in LA, the Bollywood star was swamped with criticism by the public, and even celebrities like Armeena Rana Khan called on to the UN to revoke her status as a Goodwill Ambassador. Shireen Mazari, Federal Minister for Human Rights also rallied for Priyanka’s removal from the prestigious post. She also wrote to the UNICEF Executive Director, Henrietta Fore, calling for Chopra’s removal as a Goodwill Ambassador in light of her “jingoism and support†for a war between the two nations.
and the UN has finally responded.
Read More: Pakistani woman calls out Priyanka Chopra for being a hypocrite
“When UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors speak in their personal capacity, they retain the right to speak about issues that interest or concern them,†said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, when asked a question about Priyanka, reported Khaleej Times.
Priyanka Chopra attended the Beautycon Los Angeles 2019 Pink Carpet at Los Angeles Convention Center on August 10, 2019Â
He added that whenever they speak on behalf of the UNICEF, they’re expected to adhere to UNICEF’s evidence-based impartial positions.
The two nuclear powered nations have been at heads over the disputed territory of Kashmir, and came close to a military standoff this February, which is when Priyanka sent a tweet saying ‘Jai Hind’, which translates to long live India. The star faced extreme backlash for her nationalistic tweet at a time when war seemed inevitable; being a UN Ambassador, people wanted her to take more responsibility and advocate for peace rather than using her platform to incite hate.
Online petitions that were set up after the tweet and her more recent faux-pas at Beautycon have amassed thousands of signatures.
