Shweta Tiwari thanks MNS member after online abuser sends written apology
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Actress Shweta Tiwari has publicly acknowledged the intervention of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) member Snehal Adarkar, who helped track down a man accused of posting derogatory and abusive comments against women on social media. Within three days of Adarkar taking up the matter, the accused submitted a handwritten apology letter — an outcome Tiwari described as both gratifying and insufficient given the scale of online abuse women face.
How the Incident Unfolded
A few days before her acknowledgement post, Shweta Tiwari had shared screenshots on social media highlighting abusive comments made by certain men against women. She also posted their Instagram accounts publicly, arguing that individuals who behave this way should not be allowed to believe they can act without consequences. Notably, she directed a question at MNS chief Raj Thackeray, asking whether such conduct was acceptable from people who claimed to support him.
The post drew a swift response from Snehal Adarkar, an advocate and MNS member, who contacted Tiwari directly. Adarkar clarified that the party neither endorses nor tolerates abusive behaviour towards women, and confirmed that the men involved were not party members.
The Apology and Tiwari's Response
In her own words, Tiwari wrote: 'Within just three days, she sent me the phone number of the person involved. And also a handwritten apology letter by him.' She thanked Adarkar and the MNS team for acting proactively — without being asked a second time — and for making it clear that insults against women are taken seriously by the organisation.
Tiwari also noted that Adarkar offered continued support, telling her she could reach out if she faced similar harassment in the future. The 'Kasautii Zindagi Kay' actress said the gesture gave her a measure of relief, even as she acknowledged the larger problem remained unresolved.
The Bigger Problem Tiwari Raised
Despite welcoming the resolution in her individual case, Tiwari was candid about its limitations. She wrote: 'We may be able to catch one or two people here and there, but what about the thousands, or perhaps millions, of people who hide behind their screens and feel completely invincible?'
She argued that the core issue is a mentality — a belief among online abusers that targeting women carries no real consequences. In her view, catching isolated offenders does not address the systemic nature of online misogyny, and meaningful change requires a broader cultural shift.
Context: Women and Online Abuse in India
Tiwari's experience reflects a pattern increasingly documented across Indian social media platforms. Celebrities and public figures — particularly women — routinely face coordinated harassment campaigns, often with little institutional recourse. This is not the first time a Bollywood or television personality has used their own platform to publicly name and shame abusers, though the involvement of a political party in mediating an apology is uncommon.
The episode raises questions about the role political organisations can play in curbing online abuse, and whether such interventions can be replicated at scale. As Tiwari herself noted, the challenge is systemic — and one handwritten apology, however welcome, is only a start.