Indian army slams MNS for asking Bollywood films featuring Pakistani actors for 'penance' fund

MNS earlier asked producers who employed Pakistani artistes to each pay INR50 million to Indian Army’s welfare fund


News Desk October 23, 2016
PHOTO: ONLINE

Indian army on Saturday reportedly slammed the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for asking film producers employing Pakistan artistes to pay INR50 million to its welfare funds.

Bollywood films featuring Pakistani actors to give INR50 million to Indian army welfare: MNS chief

"Don't play politics with the army, which has a strong apolitical, highly-disciplined and secular ethos. The armed forces do not want to be dragged into such low-level political wrangling," said a senior officer. "We only accept funds that are donated voluntarily, not through such coercion or extortion," added another officer.

Officers said an "Army Welfare Fund Battle Casualties" fund was recently established after the force was approached by a large number of philanthropic organisations and individuals who wanted to donate money to assist the relatives and next of kin of soldiers who laid down their lives in the line of duty. "There was a surge of such requests after 10 soldiers perished in the massive avalanche in Siachen on February 3 as well as after the attack on the Uri camp on September 18 that left 19 soldiers dead," said an officer.

Indian home minister promises safe release of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

Hindu radical party Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Saturday gave the green light for the release of Karan Johar’s forthcoming film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil but said all producers who employed Pakistani artists must pay INR50 million each to the Indian Army’s welfare fund as atonement.

The decision came after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ intervened in the matter, a day after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh visited Mumbai to meet representatives of Bollywood.

MNS President Raj Thackeray further said henceforth all Pakistani artistes, including actors, singers, among others, shall be permanently banned from Bollywood. “Why should Pakistani actors be given the red carpet welcome when our soldiers are being killed on the borders? Was the Uri attack the first one,” an aggressive Thackeray said.


Fadnavis convened a meeting on Saturday which was attended by Thackeray, Karan Johar and Film and Television Producers Guild of India’s President Mukesh Bhatt, among others at his official residence, Varsha, to resolve the imbroglio.

Not screening Ae Dil Hai Mushkil will be our loss, say Indian cinema owners

MNS, however, imposed certain conditions to release the film. The party chief demanded a handsome contribution to the army welfare fund and “slides paying tributes to brave Indian soldiers before the start of the film in theatres” — to which both Bhatt and Johar reportedly readily agreed.

Asking all producers to ensure Pakistani artistes “don’t get entry to Bollywood”, Thackeray said producers must submit a written undertaking to MNS that they would not employ any Pakistani actors, singers, technicians, among others. “Producers will discuss the ‘atonement’ amount to be given with Fadnavis and inform us, but from today (Saturday) no more Pakistani artistes shall be hired. We will not tolerate any excuses on this,” Thackeray declared.

Earlier, the MNS said it would not allow the release of the film because it features Pakistani actor, Fawad Khan.

This article originally appeared on Times of India.

 

 

COMMENTS (16)

Prabhjyot singh madan | 7 years ago | Reply @JA: India is not a country of four or 5 provinces. Each province is autonomous and federal govt gives assistance and grants as required by them..there is no load shedding of electricity in Bengal and we export it to persist.BTW, mns has zero base in Bengal. Ran rakha
Kushal | 7 years ago | Reply @SSH: If SAARC is toothless then why dont you resign for good. Bric summit was too good thank you. Modi publicly humiliated Pakistan in front of the whole world. Russia again proved itself a all weather friend who agreed to supply s400 to India, at par with China.
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