Under fire, Hema withdraws remarks

In the eye of a storm for asking north Indians to leave Mumbai on Thursday, actress-turned-politician and BJP MP Hema Malini on Friday retracted her remarks saying she had no authority to advise them to do so.

She said her remarks were "interpreted wrongly" by the media and "blown out of proportion".

"I was sitting at the function when some television channel reporters attempted to ask me questions while I was watching a programme on the stage. I was unable to hear the questions properly due to the noise and merely to keep them away in a humorous vein I gave a reply," Hema said.

The actress said she had great respect for north Indians and held them in high regard and she had no authority to tell or advise north Indians to leave the city.

She also asked the parties not to politicise the issue any more. Congress and NCP had reacted strongly to the comments burning her effigy and said Hema should remember she was an politician first and an actress later.