The row between house mates has sparked a debate in both British and Indian society. Here, people in India give their reaction.

Poonam - the row 'has been blown out of proportion'

The clips from Big Brother we watched were fascinating. It is so obvious that the reason for this row is envy. Shilpa is beautiful, talented and successful. They are nothing like her, so they want to hurt her.

There is an element of racism in some of the remarks, but I think it's only on the surface. That was the easiest way to hurt her.

But the real reason is very simple: she is a strong competition, she has a better chance to win and they want her out.

Their behaviour is basic and cruel and I think the broadcaster should intervene and put an end to it.

This has become a big story in the media and the issue has even been taken on a diplomatic level. It has been completely blown out of proportion.

This incident is not representative of the whole society and therefore such attention to it is not justified.

Just because she is Indian and the others are British doesn't mean anything. You cannot generalise. Maybe there is a problem at some level in British society, but the same goes for every other community.

I have British friends and they are the most wonderful people I've met.

Shibashish - the row 'has changed my view of Britain'

I was very pleased when I heard that an Indian actress was chosen to take part in Big Brother. When I discovered how she was treated I was shocked.

I was shocked that she was isolated and insulted by her fellow house mates. The remarks were related to the fact that she is Indian and go beyond the bickering between girls.

They don't seem to understand that being a celebrity means that you have moral responsibilities towards society.

Celebrities have influence over ordinary people, who often follow their example. If the famous people of Britain act this way knowing the outside world watches everything they do, I can't imagine how ordinary Asian people get treated by white Brits.

Also, the fact that she was called a 'Paki', which to an Indian person is actually quite offensive, speaks volumes about the ignorance of the other contestants. (NB: The programme makers deny the term 'Paki' was used.)

I've never been to Britain and I don't have contacts with British people. But I've always had an image of Britain being a very tolerant country, with lots of different ethnicities and nationalities living together. This row has changed my view of Britain.

The way Shilpa Shetty was treated in the Big Brother house was very harsh, but I don't think it's such a big deal after all.

It shouldn't have happened as it does show a racist attitude. After all Shilpa is the only Indian in the house and she gets treated in a bad way.

We don't watch Big Brother here and we wouldn't know much about it if it was not for the controversy this incident has created.

All the newspapers reported the story on their front pages. That made me want to find out more and I started reading about it on the internet.

I was so surprised to discover that it was discussed in British Parliament. This has gone too far. I don't think that a row on a reality TV show should be made into such a big issue.

It's an isolated incident. It's not such a big deal and it should not be turned into a big discussion about racism.

Anurag - 'the abuse is undeserved'

This issue calls for a wider debate. What we saw on television looked like an attempt to vilify someone who is an icon to millions of Indians.

Shilpa must have gone to the show with lots of hope and seeing her weeping live on television was a set back.

I am not going to debate who is the most beautiful and glamorous of the ladies involved. Whatever the reason - be it jealousy or racism - it shouldn't have ended up this way.

Shilpa's initial intentions might have been to present herself to a wider audience, but once there, she represented the expectations of her fans.

The other housemates should have at least thought of the respect that she commands in India.