Shilpa in eye of controversy again over Gere's 'peck on cheek'

New Delhi, Apr 16 (UNI) An innocuous peck on the cheek involving Hollywood star Richard Gere and Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty during an AIDS awareness event in the Capital, flared up into a major controversy today even as She lashed out at the media for its 'outreach' and making a mountain of a molehill.

Condemning the Richard Gere-Shilpa Shetty kiss the BJP today said the incident was against ''Indian culture''.

BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar, initially reluctant to react on the 'outcry' over the incident, on the pretext that the party need not react to everything, however said, ''It is not in tune with our tradition. It is against our culture.'' Meanwhile, reacting to the deluge of adverse reactions that the incident had evoked in the media as well as in several other 'quarters' Ms Shilpa, lashing out at the media, said the ''over reaction to a trivial incident'' was sheer waste of national time over trivial issues.

On the reported last night's incident she said, ''He (Richard Gere) was just trying to strike a dance pose, which we had been discussing earlier in the day, and that's all.'' There was nothing more to that, she asserted saying ''Please do not politicise the whole issue. Richard is passionate about the cause and cares for India a lot. He did nothing to offend me...'' I know where to draw the line on things which affect my dignity.

Had it been so I would have reacted, she told mediapersons reacting to the incident which snowballed into a controversy due to ''media hype'', as she put it.

Elaborating on the incident she said, ''At first I did not understand what was happening so I was a little taken aback but later Richard thanked by going on his knees for the cooperation.'' Richard has done a lot for the cause and has great regard for India and its tradition and culture and by needlessly raising a stink we are making a fool of ourselves, she said.

He has come for a cause and I respect him and he admires India for all its variety and he just wanted a ''song and dance'' sequence, the way we are used to here, to put the issue into a better perspective, she added. ''The real issue is we went to address truckers to advise them on prevention from HIV/AIDS, and this is not how we treat our guest.'' Reacting is fine but over-reacting is ridiculous. Its waste of precious national time, the Bollywood star added.

UNI