PRAYAGRAJ: Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad (ABAP), the top body of the country’s 13 recognised Hindu monastic orders, has condemned actress and columnist Pooja Bedi for defending fellow actor Milind Soman’s recent nude photo and comparing it with Naga sadhus.
ABAP president Mahant Narendra Giri said on Tuesday, “Pooja Bedi does not have any knowledge of Naga sanyasi tradition. Milind had posted his naked photo on social media recently on his birthday drawing criticism.”
Bedi had defended Soman and compared his picture with those of Naga sadhus. She tweeted, “Absolutely nothing obscene about @milindrunning aesthetic pic. The obscenity lies in the minds of a viewer imagining more! His crime is being good looking, famous & setting benchmarks! If nudity is a crime all Naga babas should be arrested. Smearing ash can’t make it acceptable!”
The tweet has angered Akhada Parishad. Giri said it’s wrong to “compare the nudity and vulgarity of a model film artist to the tradition of Naga ascetics.”
Giri went on to advise Pooja, “She should educate herself by knowing more about Naga sanyasis. She should spend some time in Kumbh and see the hard penance of Naga Sanyasis.”
He said Naga sanyasis follow severe austerity and sacrifice in life.