'Will rise again': Shehzad Poonawalla thanks fans for support after thrashing by Siwet Tomar on Rise & Fall | India News

Former BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Monday issued a statement after an altercation with co-contestant Siwet Tomar on the reality show Rise & Fall, saying that he will “rise again” and lauding the “overwhelming support” he received from the fans.Poonawalla said he chose to respond with maturity and treated everyone with respect, even after being hit.“Shehzad lost his father when he was just a child. His mother is growing older, and he doesn’t share an easy relationship with his brother because of their ideological differences. He came to the show to play, work and earn his livelihood, yet you chose to abuse and attack him physically from behind. Even when you provoked him with your words, Shehzad chose to respond with maturity and treated everyone with respect. That says more about you than it ever could about him,” a post on Poonawalla’s X account read. “Even when you provoked him with your words, Shehzad chose to respond with maturity and treated everyone with respect. That says more about you than it ever could about him. People are watching. You can abuse him, try to silence him or push him down, but you cannot defeat his spirit. He will rise again, every single day, stronger than before. Thank you to everyone for this overwhelming love and support. Jai Hind," he added.What happened?Shehzad Poonawalla was seen being thrashed by a co-contestant in the latest episode of the reality show Rise & Fall, which airs on Prime Video, with videos of the incident going viral.The episode showed an argument between actor Swara Bhasker and Shehzad Poonwalla that turned ugly, with another co-contestant, Siwet Tomar, joining the ruckus and thrashing the former BJP leader.The argument between Swara Bhasker and Shehzad Poonawalla on Rise & Fall 2's Episode 3 appeared to be centred on their political and ideological differences.Right before getting beaten, Shehzad Poonawalla could be heard referring to a tattoo of Siwet Tomar and saying, despite getting that inked, he was siding with Swara Bhasker, who is considered left-leaning. Among the many tattoos on his body, particularly on his left arm, Siwet has a tattoo that appears to be a Trishul, as seen in videos and his social media posts.Poonawalla was later seen on camera showing his torn kurta.Some reports claimed that Siwet Tomar has been evicted from the show over the physical assault on Shehzad Poonawalla. Google TrendsShehzad Poonawalla's name was among the top trends on Google as people looked up for news about him. The highest number of searches came from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, followed by Delhi, Haryana and Uttarakhand.