Chidambaram, CPI support Khushboo

Chennai, Nov 20 (IANS) Actress Khushboo, facing protests and court cases over her remarks on premarital sex, Sunday found support from Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and the Communist Party of India (CPI).

"In India, one has got the right to speech and freedom to express views. Attempts to curtail or take away these cannot be accepted", said Chidambaram, who however refused to comment on Khushboo's remarks.

"There is no need for one to react to another's views. I am not going to comment on it", he told reporters in Sivaganga, his constituency in Tamil Nadu.

Writing in a magazine, Khushboo had said it was okay to have sex before marriage, provided precautions were taken. A section of the society has criticised the actress for the comment, calling it a denigration of the Tamil culture.

Khushboo and Suhasini Maniratnam, an actress who expressed support to her, were facing a number of court cases and protests led by the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and the Dalit Panthers of India.

The CPI also came out in defence of Khushboo and urged protesting groups not to resort to "undemocratic means".

The agitation seemed to be "conducted with political motives" and the cases against Khushboo had "degenerated to the lowest level," CPI state secretary D. Pandian said in a statement.

Freedom of expression is enshrined in the Constitution, the CPI leader said, adding: "If there were to be opposite views to what the actress had stated, they should be expressed in the form of rejoinders."