Popular television actress Nia Sharma has come out in support of Aly Goni after he faced backlash for not chanting "Ganpati Bappa Morya" during Ganpati celebrations in Mumbai.
For the unversed, several videos from the festivities have gone viral, showing Aly standing silent while his girlfriend Jasmine Bhasin and others around him enthusiastically chanted Bappa's name.
While some netizens defended Aly, pointing out his religious background, others criticised him for not joining in despite Jasmine urging him to do so. Amid the debate, Nia has now voiced her support for the Yeh Hai Mohabbatein actor.
Taking to her Instagram story on Wednesday (September 3), a day after the videos surfaced, Nia shared a picture with Aly and wrote, "Being a part of someone's festivities is the utmost respect itself. And we celebrate Ganpati, Eid and every festival in India with the same fervour."
What is the controversy?
In one of the viral clips, Aly was seen staying silent as others around him, including his girlfriend Jasmine Bhasin, chanted "Ganpati Bappa Morya." Despite Jasmine urging him to join in, Aly refrained.
In another video from the celebrations, Aly, dressed in traditional attire, posed with Jasmine and Nia for the paparazzi. When photographers chanted "Ganpati Bappa," the crowd responded with "Morya," but Aly once again chose not to participate.
The moment divided social media users. While some criticised him, questioning why he attended the festivities if he did not wish to chant, others defended him, pointing out that as a Muslim, it was his personal choice whether or not to say "Ganpati Bappa Morya."
Aly has not reacted to the backlash yet.
