Actor John Abraham was trolled by social media users after he shared a picture with Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker. Manu, who recently returned to India with two medals from the Olympic Games, met John, who then posted the moment on Instagram.
John Abraham posted a picture with Manu Bhaker
In the photo, both John and Manu are smiling for the camera. John is seen holding one of Manu's medals, while Manu holds the other. This gesture did not sit well with many social media users, who criticided John for holding the athlete’s hard-earned medal.
John captioned the photo: "Had the pleasure of meeting Manu Bhaker and her lovely family. She has made India proud!! Respect."
Netizens criticise John Abraham
However, the post sparked a wave of backlash. One user commented, “Wo sab theek h! You should not have held the medal won by her! She has two hands to hold both the medals! You could have simply had a fan moment with her
Another user wrote, "You shouldn't have touched the medal," while another comment read, "Sorry but you have no right to touch the medal won by someone else."
Another user commented, “John bhai konsa medal jita😂?”
A user wrote, "Medal aise se kisi ko mat do Manu..Ye aapki mehnat hai (Don’t give your medal to anyone. This is the result of your hard work)."
Another user summed up the general feeling: "Learn to respect the Olympic Medal. You don’t have any rights to touch that precious thing.”
“No one should be allowed to touch the medal… Earning the medal and posing with it are two very different things,” another comment read.
“Where were you in her training days? Never it bothered you to support a budding athlete,” questioned another user.
John's upcoming projects
On the professional front, John Abraham is gearing up for the release of 'Vedaa5'. Directed by Nikkhil Advani, this action-thriller stars Sharvari as a young girl fighting against oppression, with Abhishek Bannerjee playing the antagonist. The film also features cameo appearances by Tamannaah Bhatia and Mouni Roy and is set to release on August 15.