The mobbing of actors Nidhhi Agerwal and Samantha Ruth Prabhu recently at public events in Hyderabad is not a matter of “hurt sentiments,” “provocation,” or “difference of opinion.” It is public molestation. It is an intrusion into a woman’s bodily autonomy and personal space. And it needs to be named clearly—without euphemism, without excuses.

A woman has the unquestionable right to dress the way she wants. This is not a modern concession or a Western import; it flows from the most basic principle of bodily autonomy. People, in turn, have the right to like what they see, not like it, feel indifferent, or even feel disgusted. Taste is subjective. Morality—if one insists on invoking it—is personal.

But there is one line that cannot be crossed. No one has the right to touch, crowd, leer at, or sexually intimidate a woman. Discomfort does not grant entitlement. Disapproval does not justify assault. A public place is not a free-for-all where women’s bodies become communal property.

From judgement to entitlement

What the incidents expose is not just individual misbehaviour but a deeply ingrained social mindset—one that converts moral judgement into sexual entitlement. The........

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