Shah Rukh Khan PHOTO: AFP
"Shah Rukh Khan lives in India, but his heart is in Pakistan. His films make crores here but he finds India intolerant," BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya hit out at the actor in a series of tweets.
"Isn't this treason? India is about to become a member of the United Nations Security Council. All forces opposing India, including Pakistan, are conspiring against it,” he added.
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The BJP general secretary also alleged that Khan’s tune was to sing with Pakistan. "Creating an atmosphere of intolerance in India is part of the conspiracy. Shah Rukh's tune is to sing with Pakistan and these forces against India. When hundreds were killed in Bombay in 1993, then where was Shah Rukh Khan? When Mumbai 26/11 attack was where Shah Rukh?"
The Bollywood actor had spoken out against increasing ‘intolerance’ in India on Monday, his 50th birthday. Shah Rukh Khan said there was "nothing worse than religious intolerance and that it would take India to the Dark Ages".
"Our religion cannot be defined or showed respect to by our meat-eating habits. How banal and silly is that," the superstar said while speaking to NDTV, supporting the many writers, filmmakers and others who have returned awards in protest after incidents of mob attacks over rumours of beef eating and cow slaughter and killings of noted rationalist writers.
However, the former Madhya Pradesh minister’s comment was strongly condemned by his own party members as well as other Indian politicians of rival parties.
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"I condemn his comments outright," said union minister and BJP leader Prakash Javadekar, pointing out that Vijayvargiya is not a BJP spokesperson and so does not speak for the party.
Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien also tweeted saying, “Sickening remarks against @iamsrk by BJP national gen sec also in charge of Bengal. What attitude is this: everyone is bad and only you are good?”
Sickening remarks against @iamsrk by BJP national gen sec also in charge of Bengal.What attitude is this: everyone is bad & only u r good?
— Derek O'Brien | ডেরেক ও'ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) November 3, 2015
Fringe or mainstream ? The sickening comment against @iamsrk was made by national Gen Sec of BJP who is also in-charge of party in Bengal
— Derek O'Brien | ডেরেক ও'ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) November 4, 2015
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also spoke out in support of Shah Rukh Khan. “We ArE all proud of you.@iamsrk Hope your words help to make a tolerant, inclusive and progressive India," Kejriwal tweeted.
We r all proud of you.@iamsrk Hope your words help to make a tolerant, inclusive and progressive India.
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) November 3, 2015
However, following the condemnation the BJP leader withdrew his tweets against Shah Rukh Khan. “My tweet was misconstrued by some, I didnt mean to hurt anyone. I retract my tweets from yesterday. If India is intolerant, then Shah Rukh Khan wouldn’t have been the most loved actor after Amitabh Bachchan,” the BJP leader said in his latest tweet."
However, as Vijayvargiya withdrew his tweet, BJP lawmaker Yogi Adityanath compared the Bollywood actor to the alleged mastermind of Mumbai attacks, Hafiz Saeed.
"Shah Rukh should understand that if Muslims don't see his films, he will be on the roads. There is no difference in what Shah Rukh Khan and Hafiz Saeed say," said Aditynath, according to NDTV.
This article originally appeared on NDTV
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