Shilpa Shetty is angry with the media and has lashed out at TV channels for repeatedly showing her 'hug and kiss' with Hollywood actor Richard Gere at a show organised in New Delhi to create AIDS awareness amongst truck drivers.

"I wish the electronic media wouldn't play the clip over and over again. It's annoying and serves no purpose. There're so many larger issues. In fact, we were there to spread AIDS awareness among truckers," Shilpa told.

Hindu rightwing Shiv Sena members, who considered Gere's public display of affection immoral, attacked a press conference Monday being addressed by Shilpa in Mumbai. They also burnt the effigies of both actors and demanded that the Hollywood actor should leave the country immediately.

Apart from Mumbai and New Delhi, sporadic protests were seen in Kanpur, Jaipur, Varanasi, Meerut and Indore by the so-called guardians of morality.

Shilpa, who has won sizeable fans in Britain after winning the reality show "Big Brother", feels this kind of reaction is sending out wrong signals to the British people.

"I don't understand why are we making idiots of ourselves by blowing it up. Whatever has happened is wrong."