Alia Bhatt has found herself at the centre of an online storm after posting a message in support of students protesting in Delhi.

While several users appreciated the actor for eventually speaking up, a large section of social media criticised what they described as a delayed response.

Soon after Bhatt shared her post, the comments section was flooded with reactions questioning why she had remained silent until now.

Several users also alleged that the statement was carefully worded and avoided directly holding the government accountable.

Among the comments that gained traction were: ‘Wow, a little too late for the party. Better late than never. Also very safe to post after Modi's tweet, only says a lot about your intention.’

Another user wrote, 'No mention of the word 'government', 'accountability'. Word limit exceeded. 3/10.'

Some comments directly linked the timing of her post to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on the issue, with users writing, 'Finally Modi allowed to speak up, too earlyyy,' and 'PM has tweeted. Now it's safe for them to speak up.'

The backlash soon turned personal, with one user dragging Bhatt's parenting choices into the debate.

 

A comment read, ‘Promise me that you will send Raha to Indian school colleges? Promise?’, suggesting that celebrities should back public institutions through their own choices if they genuinely support student causes.

 

Others urged the actor to take stronger action beyond social media. 'Dear Alia, If you truly mean it then join us in a protest,' read one comment.

Another widely shared reaction stated, 'Fascinating how your heart takes days to break and mend while sitting in complete silence, until calling it 'inspiring' becomes the safe PR move.'

Several users also mocked what they believed was a carefully crafted public relations strategy. One comment read, 'Can this be more generic? How long did your lawyers and PR take to come up with this?'

The criticism comes amid heightened public scrutiny of celebrities and their responses to ongoing national issues, with social media users increasingly expecting public figures to react swiftly and take clear positions on matters of public concern.