Actor and activist Shabana Azmi has said that she does not support the idea of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi as a Prime Minister candidate because India’s image would be sullied if he became the Prime Minister. Replying to a question by media about the choice between Modi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate in context of a recent survey that showed majority support for Modi, Shabana said that there was no question about considering Modi because the trial against him for Gujarat riot is still on and he had not yet apologised to the people of Gujarat.

As for Rahul Gandhi, she said that she did not want to comment on that matter but only a suitable candidate should be considered for the post of Prime Minister.

Shabana Azmi was in the city to participate in the concluding programme of ‘one billion rising’ campaign on violence against women organised by NGOs Jan Pahal, Action Aid and other civil society organisations at the Yadgar-e-Shahjehani Park on Thursday.

Answering other queries of media persons, the actor-activist said that ‘item songs’ trend in movies should be stopped as they were detrimental to women’s image but added that gradually Bollywood is also changing its portrayal of women. Compared to the movies of 1960s or thereabouts, now women are shown as independent and working and not as second fiddle who were subjected to violence, she said, adding that recent movies like ‘Kahaani’ and ‘No One killed Jessica’ portrayed empowered women.