"Why is she wearing a hijab?"
Ankita Lokhande has found herself at the centre of a social media storm following a recent vacation post from Abu Dhabi.
The actress shared a carousel of photos from her getaway with her husband, Vicky Jain, sparking an unexpected online controversy.
Among the photographs she posted, several showed Ankita wearing a hijab while exploring different locations across Abu Dhabi with Vicky.
She captioned the post: “Just a little Abu Dhabi love from my camera roll. Exploring, laughing and making memories.”
However, a section of social media users almost immediately began questioning her choice of attire in some of the photographs.
A user questioned: “Why is she wearing a hijab?”
Another person asked bluntly: “Is she Muslim???”
The trolling gathered momentum quickly before Ankita’s loyal fanbase stepped to defend her.
Supporters were quick to point out that she had also shared several photographs from the same outing without the hijab after leaving mosque premises.
Many fans explained that wearing a head covering is a standard and mandatory requirement when visiting mosques and certain religious sites in the UAE.
One of them wrote: “Bro she is not showing whether she is secular or not… It’s compulsory there.”
Another supporter expanded the point further by drawing a practical and relatable comparison to help contextualise the choice being made:
“She is not promoting Muslim culture. She is enjoying the beautiful monument.”
“For your statement about hijab, most girls cover their head and face cause of summer heat, so are they all promoting Islam??”
Others took a more direct approach and simply called out the trolls for their narrow-minded and unnecessarily aggressive reactions to an innocent travel post.
One wrote: “How abt minding your own damn business?!
“If you don’t know the rules of this mosque, better shut up and stop shoving your negativity regarding religions everywhere.”
Another said: “You got so triggered on one post, wowww what a mentality.”
One comment read: “If Hindus want to be secular, ok. If they don’t, then that’s okay too.”
The episode reflects a growing and troubling tendency on social media to police the choices of public figures, particularly women, with alarming intensity.
Ankita is no stranger to public scrutiny, having spent years in the spotlight both as an actress and as a public personality.
She rose to national fame through her breakthrough role in Ekta Kapoor’s beloved and long-running television show Pavitra Rishta.
Beyond television, Ankita Lokhande has also taken on significant film roles in projects such as Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi and Baaghi 3.
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