BJP, Sena hit out at Aamir

The acrimonious debate on actor Aamir Khan’s statement over intolerance ceases to end. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its long-term ally Shiv Sena sharpened their attack against the actor on Wednesday. The BJP charged Khan with committing a “moral offence”, adding that the actor blaming the entire country for his own sake is unacceptable.

Union minister Prakash Javadekar said the “extreme reaction” given by the actor has not only “dented” the country’s image but also his own. Joining his party colleagues, who have been critical of Khan’s comment, he said the reason why his party did not agree with the actor's statement is because the country has a "legacy of tolerance".

“The statement of Aamir may have been his personal opinion but the country has been hurt by it to a large extent. If such an extreme reaction is given by a prominent artiste, then naturally some people get hurt and sad. The reason why we do not agree with the statement is because our country has a legacy of tolerance which is there even today. Not only has Aamir's statement dented the image of the country but his own image has been dented," Javadekar said.

The party said an icon like Khan should not use such words that blamed the country and hit out at some political forces for creating obstacles in the nation's development process. “It is unfortunate that for the sake of his name he is defaming the entire country. I feel it is a moral offence," said BJP spokesperson MJ Akbar.

He said there is absolutely no problem with an icon or non-icon in a democracy criticising anything, "but yes, when an icon blames the whole nation, then I think there is an appropriate reason for a reaction."  "I do not believe that you have a right to drag down the nation because of any personal antagonism towards a political party. The nation must always be above politics," he said.

Talking about Khan’s relations with Maulana Azad, he reminded the actor that the freedom fighter had said at the steps of the historic Jama Masjid in Delhi that the country belongs to everyone as he opposed Partition. "Aamir is a relative of Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, whose message was that the country belonged to everybody. What Maulana had said, probably his relatives should have heard," Akbar said, adding that the truth spoken by Maulana will never change and all should help make the country progressive and developed.

Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi stressed that tolerance is in India's DNA and the actor need not leave the country, advising him to not come under the influence of "fabricated political propaganda". "Tolerance is in India's DNA. There is no space for intolerance in the country. People don't need to get influenced by fabricated political propaganda," he said.

He added: "There is nothing wrong as peace and harmony are prevailing in the country. So Aamir does not need to leave the country. He should stay back and should not come under the influence of fabricated political propaganda." 

BJP MP and Hindutva leader Yogi Adityanath also took a swipe at Khan and said that nobody stopped him from leaving India if he wanted to and it would help reduce the country's population. 

Two days ago, Khan had said: “Kiran (his wife) and I have lived all our life in India. For the first time, she said, should we move out of India...She fears for her child, she fears about what the atmosphere around us will be.” This statement made by the actor stoked a major controversy.

The Shiv Sena too hit out at the actor in its mouthpiece Saamana, saying that he was speaking the "language of treachery" and asked the 'Khan clan' in the film industry to explain what calamity has befallen them.

Dubbing Aamir 'Ranchhoddas', a character that he had played in the film ‘3 Idiots’, Sena said: “This Ranchhoddas should explain in which country is he going to live. Speaking of leaving the country is a language of treachery. Leave whatever glory this country has given you, here only.”

"Only Aamir knows why he wanted to leave the country and why did he take his filmy wife's remarks so seriously," the Sena said.

"Those who don't feel that India is their own, should not speak of patriotism and of 'Satyamev Jayate' (referring to Aamir's popular TV show)," it said.

Attacking the powerful 'Khan clan' in the film industry, Sena said: "The Khan community in the film industry speak of fleeing the country. Let it be known what calamity has befallen them. The film 'PK', which ridiculed Hindu deities, garnered hundreds of crores. Was this because the country is intolerant?" 

The Sena said if the actor feels suffocated over 'intolerance', then he should release his films outside India.