Nupur Sharma’s Prophet remark, The Kashmir Files and Oscar slapgate: The biggest controversies and scandals of 2022

Comments, clothes (or the lack of them), conmen and more. There was a lot that outraged people in 2022, a year which was rocked by controversies and scandals. From movie stars to politicians, no one stayed away from being embroiled in rows, intentionally or not. As we reach the end of another tumultuous year, a look back at how “sentiments were hurt” and how some celebrities raised eyebrows with their questionable choices. Nupur Sharma’s Prophet remarks In June, then Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma created a furore in India with her objectionable remarks on Prophet Muhammad. It snowballed into a diplomatic controversy with the Islamic world taking offence. Violence broke out in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur, protests were held in many states, and cases were filed against Sharma in different parts of the country over the comments made during a TV debate in May-end. Following the outrage, the BJP suspended her from the party on 5 June.

Citing her views as "contrary to the Party's position on various matters," BJP suspends Nupur Sharma from the party with immediate effect pic.twitter.com/txQ9CpvqH4

— ANI (@ANI) June 5, 2022

Delhi BJP’s media in-charge Naveen Kumar Jindal was also expelled from the primary membership of the party for sharing a tweet of her comment. To placate the Islamic nations including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iran who had registered protests over Sharma’s statements, Indian diplomats underscored that the comments do not reflect the government’s stance, adding that they were “views of fringe elements”. In July, the Supreme Court also denounced Sharma, saying she was “single-handedly responsible for what is happening in the country”. West Bengal school jobs ‘scam’ The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal came under Opposition fire after its minister Partha Chatterjee was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on 23 July. The then Cabinet minister and his aide Arpita Mukherjee were arrested by the central agency in connection with the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam. It is alleged that “non-deserving” candidates were given jobs in various schools across Bengal for monetary gains instead of meritorious candidates. Days after the arrest, the TMC sacked Chatterjee from his ministerial posts and suspended him from the party. The ED said it has attached assets worth over Rs 100 crore allegedly linked to the former TMC minister and his associate. It has also seized cash amounting to Rs 49.80 crore and gold and jewellery valued at over Rs 5.08 crore during the searches conducted at the premises linked to the politician and his aide. Besides the duo, the federal agency also named six companies as accused in the first chargesheet filed in September. Nord Stream ‘sabotage’ In September, four leaks were reported in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines which link Russia and Germany via the Baltic Sea. Last month, investigators found traces of explosives at the site of the extensively damaged Nord Stream gas pipelines, confirming that the breaches were a result of sabotage, a Swedish prosecutor said, as per Reuters.  [caption id=“attachment_11858471” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Four leaks were reported in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in September. AFP[/caption] Earlier, Denmark said that the leaks were triggered by powerful explosions. Swedish and Danish authorities are conducting separate probes into the incident. The 26 September leaks released natural gas into the ocean which bubbled to the surface, causing environmental concerns. The pipelines have become a flashpoint after Russia reduced its gas supplies to Europe, in retaliation to the sanctions imposed by the West in the wake of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. ALSO READ: How India took some giant leaps in 2022 Chris Pincher scandal He was under fire for “partygate” – a controversy about gatherings at No 10 during the coronavirus lockdown. Then came allegations of how he handled the case against Chris Pincher , a lawmaker accused of sexual misconduct. This seemed like the final nail in the coffin. The sexual misconduct scandal rocked UK politics and forced Boris Johnson to resign as head of the Conservative Party and prime minister. The political crisis unfolded in the UK in early July, minutes after the-then prime minister admitted in an interview with the BBC that he made a “bad mistake” in appointing Pincher as deputy chief whip despite being aware of misconduct allegations against him. Soon after, his top ministers, Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javed quit, expressing a lack of confidence in Johnson’s leadership. A flurry of resignations followed and the embattled PM had no choice but to go. Pincher was suspended from the Conservative Party following allegations that he groped two men at a private members club in London. He had then apologised for drinking “far too much” and embarrassing himself “and other people”. He also resigned from the post of deputy chief whip after the allegations about his sexual conduct surfaced. More allegations emerged against Pincher including that he had groped two Tory MPs. Brittney Griner imprisonment Brittney Griner , the American basketball star, was released after 10 months of detention in Russia following a prisoner swap with Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in December. Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February after officials found vape canisters and cannabis oil in her luggage. The WNBA star had a medical marijuana prescription in Arizona, however, the substance is illegal in Russia, according to a report Texas Tribune. Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison and was sent to a penal colony in Mordovia, about 210 miles east of Moscow, before her release. Pathaan’s ‘Besharam Rang’ row This year saw the rise of the Boycott Bollywood brigade and its latest prey was Pathaan, the upcoming film starring Deepika Padukone and Shah Rukh Khan. A political storm erupted after Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Mishra objected to Deepika’s saffron-hued bikini in the song Besharam Rang. [caption id=“attachment_11858481” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A row has erupted over Deepika Padukone’s saffron-hued bikini in the song Besharam Rang. YouTube Screengrab[/caption] In Indore, Veer Shivaji Group’s members set effigies of SRK and Deepika on fire. Similar protests were seen in Uttar Pradesh where BJP workers called for strict action against the makers of the movie and urged the state government to ban the movie, as per India Today. A Hindu right-wing organisation in Karnataka, Sri Ram Sena, has also demanded the makers of the movie recall the song or face a boycott. While SRK has not directly addressed the row, he recently talked about the “narrowness of view” plaguing social media during the inaugural session of the 28th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF). Ranveer Singh’s nude photoshoot He is known to wear the most audacious outfits. It is ironic that when he decided to strip them, it landed him in trouble. Bollywood star Ranveer Singh set fire on the internet with his nude photoshoot for Paper magazine. While many appreciated the aesthetic appeal of the pictures, some were not so happy. An FIR was filed against the actor for allegedly breaking obscenity laws. Singh told the Mumbai Police that the picture being shared on social media showing him butt-naked was “ morphed and not a part of the photoshoot”, as per Indian Express.  ALSO READ: The Wonderfully Weird World We Live In! The oddest and funniest images of 2022 The Kashmir Files row Another movie that made headlines this year was Vivek Agnihotri’s _The Kashmir Files_ even months after its release. In November, Israeli director Nadav Lapid called the movie “vulgar propaganda” during the closing ceremony of the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. Later, he apologised for his comments after being subjected to severe backlash. Speaking to CNN-News18, Nadav said, “I didn’t want to insult anyone, and my aim was never to insult people or their relatives, who have suffered. I totally totally totally apologize if that’s the way they interpreted." Defending his work, filmmaker Agnihotri challenged Nadav to point out factual inaccuracies in the movie. Based on the exodus of the Kashmiri Hindus in the 1990s, The Kashmir Files attracted audiences to the theatres earlier this year despite mixed reviews. Many believed that the portrayal of the killings of Kashmiri Pandits was horrific. However, the BJP endorsed the film, making it tax-free in several states. It went on to become the first Hindi film to cross Rs 250 crore in box office collection post-pandemic. Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard This was perhaps one of the most talked about and keenly followed trials of the year. Hollywood actor Johnny Depp had sued his former wife Amber Heard for defamation after she hinted that he abused her in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed. In June, a US jury found Heard guilty of defaming her ex-husband and ordered her to pay $10 million in damages to Depp. Heard, who had filed a countersuit accusing the Pirates of the Caribbean actor of defamation, was awarded $2 million in compensatory and punitive damages. Depp garnered huge support from fans on social media who massively trolled Heard during the trial. The Aquaman actor, who appealed the $10 million payout to Depp previously, has now settled the defamation case. Oscar slapgate This year’s Oscar did not grab headlines for its choice of winning movies or actors as much as it did for a slap. Hollywood actor Will Smith struck comedian Chris Rock on the face on the 2022 Oscars stage after the latter made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s baldness. It turned out she had an autoimmune condition called alopecia areata , which causes the immune system to attack hair follicles and leads to hair loss. The incident left the world divided with some defending Smith’s action and calling out Rock on his distasteful remark. Smith has been banned from the Academy for 10 years following the controversy. Kanye West and his many controversies  Kanye West , now known as Ye, can arguably be awarded the title of the most controversial rapper. The music mogul and businessman’s anti-semitic comments spooked brands and creative agencies. [caption id=“attachment_11858501” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Kanye West courted many controversies this year. AP[/caption] Adidas and GAP have withdrawn from collaboration with Kanye’s brand Yeezy after his remarks created a stir. His Twitter and Instagram accounts were also restricted following the backlash, and Ye was dropped by his creative agency. He also courted controversy in October after he wore a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt to his collection at Paris Fashion Week. The Sukesh-Jacqueline saga Bollywood star Jacqueline Fernandez found herself embroiled in a controversy due to her connection to conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, who is an accused in a 200-crore money laundering case. She is being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for her links to the conman and has also been named as an accused in the money laundering case. As per News18, the actor has confirmed being in a relationship for six months with Chandrashekhar. However, claimed she was unaware of his alleged fraudulent activities. The ED has also alleged Fernandez received numerous luxury items, including 20 pieces of jewellery, 65 pairs of shoes, and 47 cloth items, during her association with the conman. It was a year of scandals and controversies. Will 2023 bring more drama? With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.