Writer and activist Taslima Nasrin has publicly defended actor Kareena Kapoor Khan after Madhya Pradesh Congress spokesperson Abbas Hafeez sent a legal notice to the actress demanding the removal of social media photographs in which she wore a historic emerald pendant engraved with a Quranic verse. The controversy, which erupted following Kareena's Diwali photographs, has drawn sharp reactions across religious and political lines.

The Pendant and Its Royal History

The jewellery at the centre of the dispute is a 200-year-old diamond-encrusted kalgi that once belonged to the Nawab of Bhopal. The piece carries deep personal significance for the Pataudi family: Saif Ali Khan's grandmother, Sajida Sultan, was the daughter of Hamidullah Khan, the last ruling Nawab of Bhopal. The pendant is engraved with Ayat al-Kursi, a revered verse from the Quran, and passed to Kareena through her husband's family lineage.

Hafeez's legal notice sought the deletion of the photographs and a public apology from the actress, with the warning of further legal action if demands were not met.

Taslima Nasrin's Strongly Worded Intervention

Nasrin, writing in an extended post on X (formerly Twitter), rejected the notice as an example of self-appointed religious policing. She wrote: 'What ridiculous antics the self-appointed guardians of religion get up to sometimes! Kareena Kapoor has worn an emerald pendant engraved with Ayat al-Kursi from the Quran. This piece of jewellery from the royal family of Bhopal came to her through Saif Ali Khan's family. Some Muslim leader has sent her a legal notice over photographs of her wearing it. The photographs must be deleted, and Kareena must apologise publicly—or face further legal action.'

Nasrin went further, challenging the logic behind the objection. 'Why? What catastrophe occurs if someone wears a pendant engraved with a Quranic verse? A pendant is meant to be worn around the neck. Naturally, it will hang near the chest. Or is the objection that Kareena's cleavage is visible? Do they think Allah did not create cleavage? ... The entire body is Allah's creation, but when it came to a woman's breasts, Satan slipped in to do a little handiwork? How amusing!' she wrote.

She added: 'Letters engraved on an emerald deserve respect, but a woman of flesh and blood does not. To defend the honour of those letters, a woman can be harassed and pressured into apologising. If sanctity is destroyed merely by coming close to a woman's body, then hatred of women has been built into that very notion of sanctity.'

Religious Freedom and Women's Bodily Autonomy

Nasrin's post also questioned the right of any individual to impose personal religious beliefs on another person's clothing or jewellery choices. 'If you consider a verse sacred, by all means do. But why impose the burden of your belief on someone else? Another woman must dress, wear jewellery and pose for photographs according to your beliefs — what an absurd demand! Surely your hurt feelings do not give you a licence to take away someone else's freedom,' she wrote.

The writer concluded that she sees no reason for Kareena to apologise, arguing instead that those attempting to criminalise the actress's harmless personal choices owe the apology. 'People are fed up with these merchants of wounded feelings. Century after century passes, yet they never stop showing the world that they do not know the first thing about tolerance,' Nasrin wrote, calling on those targeting the actress to stop 'the policing of women's bodies in the name of religion.'

Support From Other Quarters

The defence of Kareena has not come from one side alone. Hindu Utsav Samiti president Chandra Shekhar Tiwari also extended support to the actress, stating publicly that she had no need to apologise to anyone. The convergence of voices from different communities and ideological backgrounds signals broader public discomfort with the notice.

What Happens Next

As of 13 November 2026, Kareena Kapoor Khan or her legal representatives had not publicly responded to the notice. The episode adds to a pattern of celebrity lifestyle choices — clothing, food, jewellery — drawing religious-political controversy in India, raising questions about where public pressure campaigns end and legitimate legal grievance begins. Legal experts note that the burden of proof for establishing religious hurt in such cases remains a contested area of law.