Renu Desai Slams Trolls After Pro-Stray Dog Comments, Tells Them Not to Drag Her Family
Actor and activist Renu Desai has hit back at social media trolls who dragged her family into online attacks after she spoke about stray dog issues earlier this week. Desai, known for her work in Telugu cinema and as the former wife of actor-politician Pawan Kalyan, addressed critics following a press conference in Hyderabad about street dog bites.
Renu Desai had joined actor Rashmi Gautam and director Sashi Kiran Tikka for a press meet at the Hyderabad Press Club to discuss the rising concern over stray dog attacks on children and the need for compassionate and practical solutions. During the event, she questioned why people were quick to single out stray dogs when other dangers — such as mosquito-borne diseases, road accidents and violent crimes — claim many more lives each year.
Desai urged the public to share information about aggressive dogs with animal welfare groups so that problems could be dealt with humanely, such as through rescue or rehabilitation, rather than emotional calls for widespread culling.
However, the situation turned tense when footage from the conference circulated online and some viewers began attacking Desai on social media. In particular, certain critics brought up her past marriage to Pawan Kalyan and made personal remarks involving their two children, Akira Nandan and Aadhya.
In a video posted on her Instagram account, Desai called out the trolls for their behaviour and asked them to stop bringing her family into public debates. She said she was not entering politics and clarified that she had not yelled at the press as some thumbnails suggested, but had been responding to a disruptive individual. Desai expressed her shock that anyone would wish harm on children, saying she understood the value of life as a mother.
Desai also turned off comments on her post after repeated abusive messages. She said it was wrong to associate her advocacy on public health and animal issues with her personal life and urged people to focus on the real problems at hand.
Renu Desai and Pawan Kalyan were married from 2009 to 2012 and have maintained separate lives since their divorce. The actors continue to attract public interest, but Desai’s recent statements underline the challenges public figures face when private family matters are mixed with social commentary.
