Senior BJP leader and Union minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday distanced the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party from the many calls for boycotting actor Deepika Padukone’s upcoming movie ‘Chhapaak’ after she joined a protest by Jawaharlal Nehru University students last evening.

“This is a democratic country… anyone, any artist can go any where and put forth his or her view,” Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javdekar said in response to questions about the actor’s visit to the university last evening. Deepika Padukone’s decision to join a protest by the Left-dominated JNU students’ union against the attack on students at the university on Sunday evening had riled several BJP leaders and workers. With in minutes of this visit, Delhi BJP spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga had asked followers to retweet his post on boycotting the movie.

It was against this backdrop that many people on Twitter lauded Deepika Padukone for demonstrating the courage to take a stand in theface of a potential backlash.

Javadekar’s stand was a sharp contrast to the one taken by several party leaders and activists on social media. When he was asked aboutboycott calls from BJP leaders, Prakash Javadekar shot back:. “I am also in theparty and a minister… I am not saying so”.