‘My words hurt many, I never asked students to go home'; apologizes Pearle Maaney 

Television host and actress Pearle Maaney has now responded to the massive backlash she faced on social media over a post she shared about the students protest in Delhi against alleged irregularities in the NEET examination, organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Addressing the controversy through a YouTube video, Pearle said she regrets that her words hurt many people and offered an apology.

‘It is all of you who have brought me this far. I would never want to hurt you. Two days ago, I shared a post about the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. For several days, I had been under pressure from many asking me to speak about the issue. I wrote the post based on what I understood,’ she said.

Clarifying her remarks, Pearle said she never intended to ask students to abandon their protest and return home.

‘When I said 'go home,' I did not mean that you should stop protesting and leave. I am nobody to tell students what they should do. Every student is someone's child and someone's dream. My intention was only to say that you should stay safe,’ she explained.

Pearle said that after posting the message around 11 pm, she was shocked to see interpretations in the comments that she had never intended.

‘I kept wondering, 'I never wrote that. That's not what I meant.' Even when I said 'go home,' I only meant that you should remain safe. I was not asking anyone to stop their protest and go back home,’ she added.

She also admitted that she made a mistake by calling one of her critics a ‘failed filmmaker’ in an Instagram story.

‘That was a big mistake. I realised it immediately and deleted the story. I sincerely apologise for saying that,’ said Pearle said.

She further alleged that some people were trying to portray her as being affiliated with a particular political party.

‘I have lived my life in the public eye in Kerala for so many years. I am just like any one of you. I have close friends across all political parties. It is unfair to label me as belonging to any one party,’ she said.

Pearle also clarified that she had never intended to disrespect filmmaker Sibi Malayil, describing him as one of Malayalam cinema's finest directors and someone she deeply admires.

‘I made this video only to tell you the truth. I now understand that every word I say carries responsibility. If I have made any mistake, I sincerely apologise. I am ready to correct myself,’ Pearle Maaney said.