Double standards: Twitter users on Poonam Pandey’s arrest and praise for Milind Soman’s naked run

MUMBAI: Actor Poonam Pandey’s arrest over shooting an “objectionable” video in Goa is being cited as an example of gender discrimination on social media, with many pointing out to the praise Milind Soman received for his naked run on a beach.
The Goa Police on Thursday arrested the actor-model and her husband for allegedly trespassing on Government property and shooting an “objectionable” video at a dam in Canacona town.
The shoot on the Government property had triggered a controversy with opposition parties demanding action against Pandey for shooting the video, which they termed as “obscene”.
On the other hand, Soman peacefully rang in his 55th birthday on Wednesday by posting a photo wherein he can be seen running naked on a beach in Goa.
While Pandey faced legal trouble, most of the comments appreciated Soman for his commitment to fitness.
Screenwriter Apurva Asrani took to Twitter and wondered why rules were different for men and women.
“PoonamPandey & #MilindSoman both stripped down to their birthday suits in #Goa recently. Pandey partly, Soman completely. Pandey is in legal trouble–for obscenity. Soman is being lauded for his fit body at age 55. I guess we are kinder to our nude men than to our nude women,” Asrani wrote.
“Our women are labelled sluts if they go nude. Men are not. Actresses who ‘bare’ are branded sex-sirens for life, rarely reaching respectable positions like Madhuri & Sridevi. Male actors though, get away with sex scenes & hairy-chest titillation. Face it. We are a sexist society,” the Goa-based writer added.
Actor Parul Yadav tweeted,”The #hypocrisy is astounding…Why is a man applauded and a woman arrested for doing the same thing? About time we move past this #inequality.” (AGENCIES)