Taslima Nasrin defends Kareena Kapoor in pendant row
Writer Taslima Nasrin has publicly defended actor Kareena Kapoor Khan after a legal notice was sent to the actor over her Diwali photographs featuring a Quran-inscribed emerald pendant, saying she sees no reason for Kareena to apologise.
Nasrin posted a long note on X on Friday, 13 November, backing Kareena and questioning the objection to the pendant. “I see no reason for Kareena to apologise,” she wrote, asking why wearing a piece of jewellery bearing a Quranic verse should draw a legal threat. Her intervention has added a new voice to a controversy that has dominated entertainment headlines in India — and searches in Pakistan, where Kareena Kapoor is the top trending search today.
What the legal notice says
The controversy centres on a 30-carat emerald pendant Kareena wore as part of her Diwali 2026 look. The piece is a royal heirloom linked to the erstwhile royal family of Bhopal and came to the actor through her husband Saif Ali Khan’s family. It is engraved with Ayat-ul-Kursi, the 255th verse of Surah Al-Baqarah in the Quran.
Madhya Pradesh Congress spokesperson Abbas Hafeez sent a legal notice dated 11 November to Kareena and her celebrity stylist Rhea Kapoor, through advocate Mohammad Zafar, objecting to the way the Quranic inscription was presented in the photographs shared on social media. The notice seeks the removal of the photographs, videos and related posts, a public apology, and an assurance that the inscription will not be displayed in a manner considered disrespectful.
Hafeez has clarified that he does not object to Kareena wearing the piece itself, but to how the religious verse was displayed online, arguing it hurt the sentiments of the Muslim community. A legal notice is a formal communication raising a grievance — it is not a court order, a conviction or a judicial finding that any offence was committed.
Hindu outfits back Kareena
Two Hindu organisations have also thrown their weight behind the actor. The Hindu Utsav Samiti and Sanskriti Bachao Manch said Kareena was under no obligation to apologise to anyone. Hindu Utsav Samiti president Chandrashekhar Tiwari defended the actor, backing her stand against the demand for an apology.
BJP leader Nazia Elahi Khan also reacted to the legal notice on Friday, criticising those who objected to the pendant. The reactions have turned a celebrity fashion story into a wider public debate about religious symbols, personal jewellery and free expression.
The Diwali look behind the row
Kareena’s Diwali look featured a beige kaftan with intricate real-silver embroidery and a matching turban designed by Punit Balana, accessorised with the emerald pendant. Rhea Kapoor, who styled the look, publicly described the pendant as a treasured heirloom of the erstwhile Bhopal royal family. The photographs were shared on social media during Diwali and quickly went viral.
What happens next
As of the latest reports, neither Kareena Kapoor Khan nor Rhea Kapoor has issued a public response to the legal notice. There is also no verified public information establishing that any court has ruled on the dispute. Until any legal proceedings establish otherwise, the allegations contained in the notice remain allegations, not findings against the actor or her stylist.
The episode follows the original legal notice reported earlier this week (https://ntmnews.online/?p=4937), and it comes as Bollywood reunions make news too — Aamir Khan and Farhan Akhtar are reuniting for a film 25 years after Dil Chahta Hai (https://ntmnews.online/?p=4087).
Source: Indian Express, ABP Live, Telegraph India — 13 November 2026