Explained: Why Sudha Murthy has received flak for meeting Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide

Author and philanthropist Sudha Murthy is embroiled in controversy since her video touching the feet of a Hindutva right-wing outfit leader in Maharashtra went viral.

In the clip, Murthy, who has served as the chairperson of the Infosys Foundation, can be seen bowing before controversial Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide. The incident occurred when Murthy was at Sangli in western Maharashtra on Monday (7 November) to interact with her readers at a promotional event for her books.

The photos and videos of the meeting surfaced on social media and soon snowballed into a controversy with many targetting the wife of Infosys founder Narayana Murthy.

Maharashtra | Author & philanthropist Sudha Murthy met and took blessings from Shiv Pratishthan founder Sambhajirao Bhide during an event in Sangli yesterday pic.twitter.com/VYm34y1MNI

— ANI (@ANI) November 8, 2022

Why has a row erupted over Sudha Murthy meeting Sambhaji Bhide? Did Sudha Murthy share the video on Twitter? Why is Twitter split over the video? Who is Sambhaji Bhide? We explain.

Sudha Murthy’s meet with Sambhaji Bhide raises eyebrows

Sudha Murthy’s meeting with Sambhaji Bhide, who is the head of Shri Shiv Pratisthan Hindustan, comes days after he refused to talk to a journalist because she was not wearing a bindi.

A huge controversy had erupted and the right-wing outfit leader was served a notice by the Maharashtra State Commission for Women (MSCW).

“You refused to talk to a woman journalist because she did not put a bindi on her forehead. A woman is recognized by the quality of her work. Your statement is like bringing down the honor and social prestige of the woman,” MSCW chairperson Rupali Chakankar had said in the notice, as per Deccan Herald.

The incident took place last week when Bhide was in Mantralaya, the state secretariat in Mumbai, to meet Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde.

When approached by the reporter, he slammed her and told her to put a bindi. “Every woman is like Bharat Mata and Bharat Mata is not widow….put a ‘bindi’, I will speak to you,” Bhide had told the woman journalist, as per Deccan Herald.

Besides making controversial statements, Bhide has also had several cases registered against him in the past.

Sudha Murthy shared video of the meeting?

No.

BOOM reported that the account on Twitter named after the author (@sudhamurty) that shared the video of the meeting was a fake account impersonating her.

A representative at Sudha Murty’s office confirmed that she is not on any social media platform.

“No, this is not her Twitter handle, she does not have any Twitter account. She is neither on Instagram nor Facebook and not on any public social media platform,” a representative from Murthy’s office told BOOM.

Was Sudha Murthy’s meeting with Sambhaji Bhide ‘forced’?

As per media reports, a claim has been made in this regard.

Yojana Yadav, editorial head at Mehta Publishing House, which organised the Sangli event where Murthy was present, has reportedly claimed the local police had asserted that Bhide be allowed to meet Murthy even though he was not invited.

Yadav told news agency PTI that Bhide’s supporters had arrived at the venue without invitation. Due to Bhide’s followers outside the auditorium, “the local police came under pressure and requested us to let Bhide meet Murthy, who was then interacting with the readers”, she told the news agency.

Further, she said that Murthy, who was “visibly annoyed” had to cut short her interaction with her readers to go and meet Bhide.

“She was not aware who Bhide was, so she asked me his age. She bowed before him out of respect accorded to elders,” Yadav told PTI.

The editorial head also claimed that the Hindutva leader told Murthy he wanted to speak with her for one-and-a-half hours who in turn told Bhide she did not have “more than one-and-a-half minutes” for him.

A Facebook post in Marathi by Yadav also did rounds after the video of Murthy meeting Bhide had surfaced. The screenshots of the post were shared by Alt News fact-checker Mohammed Zubair on Twitter.

Here is what Yojana Yadav has to say about Bhide meeting Sudha Murthy. pic.twitter.com/Q1dal2lSIq

— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) November 8, 2022

Twitter reacts

The well-known author was called out by some on Twitter over the video, while others appreciated her.

Taking a dig, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national executive member Preeti Sharma Menon tweeted, “Trust she wore a bindi. When people like Sudha Murthy meet bigots like Bhide, they reveal their true colours.”

Social activist Vishwambhar Choudhari wrote in a tweet,” There is something messed up with us, or else Sudha Murthy would not have buckled under pressure to meet Bhide, leave aside touching his feet.”

Questioning Yadav’s Facebook post, independent journalist Parth MN asked why Murthy’s team has not explained what happened at the event. “Why hasn’t she or her rep endorsed the Facebook post and explained what happened? Is she okay with Bhide using her for his publicity?” he asked.

If so, does she seek blessings from every old man that comes across her?

Why hasn’t she or her rep endorsed the Facebook post and explained what happened?

Is she okay with Bhide using her for his publicity?

— Parth MN (@parthpunter) November 8, 2022

Sharing the video of the meeting, right-wing columnist Shefali Vaidya said Murthy looked “perfectly at ease” while interacting with Bhide. She claimed Yojana Yadav spread a “fake story” that Murthy was “pressurised” to meet the Hindutva leader and has now deleted her Facebook post after “her lies are exposed”.

#SudhaMurthy looks perfectly at ease while meeting Bhide Guruji, but some Yojana Yadav writes a fake story about she was pressurised to meet Bhide Guruji, and deletes the post later when her lies are exposed. Predictably, @zoo_bear shares the fake post! pic.twitter.com/D1pyG3MT4Z

— Shefali Vaidya.