UN Spokesperson Comes Out In Favour Of Priyanka Chopra; Says She Retains The Right To Speak In Personal Capacity

Priyanka Chopra  has been hit by a barrage of criticism and trolls ever since she had taken to Twitter in February to support the Indian Army’s moves to avenge Uri attack. Her tweet read, , "Jai Hind #IndianArmedForces," followed by emojis of the Indian flag and namaste. To this Pakistani woman, Ayesha Malik lashed out at the actress at the BeautyCon event in Los Angeles and said that she was supporting the war. Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari had also written a letter to UNICEF demanding removal of Priyanka Chopra as the Goodwill Ambassador.

Amidst all this, a report in IANS mentions that a UN spokesperson has now spoken about the matter. According to the spokesperson, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Priyanka Chopra, who has been under intense criticism for a tweet cheering the Indian armed forces, retains the right to speak in her personal capacity on issues concerning her. When UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors "speak in their personal capacity, they retain the right to speak about issues that interest or concern them," Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said at his daily briefing on Thursday in answer to a question about PeeCee."Their personal views or actions do not necessarily reflect those of UNICEF," he added.But, he said: "When they speak on behalf of the UNICEF, we expect them to adhere to UNICEF's evidence-based impartial positions."He also added about the role of UNICEF Goddwill Ambassadors and said, "The UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors are prominent individuals who have agreed to generously volunteer their time and their public profile to promote children's rights."

A few days ago, Pakistan Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari wrote a letter to UN demanding Priyanka Chopra to be removed from the post of UN Goodwill Ambassador of Peace. Numerous Bollywood celebrities such as Ayushmann Khurrana, Javed Akhtar, Kangana Ranaut and Anupriya Goenka came out in support of Priyanka Chopra.