Aamir Khan intolerance remarks spark massive row

Actor Aamir Khan’s observations on “disquiet” in the country and that his wife wanted to “leave the country”, stirred a massive controversy. While the Congress, AAP and other Opposition parties rushed to endorse the statement, the ruling BJP smelt a “conspiracy” behind the remark. The government termed his statements as “misplaced”.

Angry twitterati took to social media attacking the actor. Many also uninstalled the e-commerce portal Snapdeal app from their mobilephones, whose brand ambassador is the actor, saying they will refrain from shopping from it until Khan is removed as its official brand ambassador.

In his reaction, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar said that the supreme sacrifice by Col. Santosh Mahadik was more important than Aamir Khan’s remarks on intolerance.

At a function on Monday, Aamir Khan had said “...we read in the papers what is happening, we see it on the news and certainly, I have been alarmed. I can’t deny. I have been alarmed by a number of incidents.”

What further infuriated the saffron sympathisers was his remark that when “I chat with Kiran at home, she says, ‘Should we move out of India ’ That’s a disastrous and big statement for Kiran to make. She fears for her child. She fears what the atmosphere around us will be. She feels scared to open the newspapers everyday.”

Reacting on the issue, Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said “Some people are misleading and some people are misled. Who comes in which category, I do not want to say. Some are propagating wrong things some are coming under wrong propaganda. My suggestion is that the situation in India is better than any other country. There is more tolerance in India. People of India are tolerant,” said Mr Naidu.

Another Union minister Kiren Rijiju said Khan’s comments on intolerance were completely misplaced and such remarks only bring down the image of the country and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As Khan came under fire, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said the government should instead of branding all those who question it and the PM as “unpatriotic, anti-national or motivated”, reach out to people to understand what’s disturbing them. “That’s the way to solve problems in India — not by bullying, threatening and abusing!” Mr Gandhi said. His views were shared by CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal “admired” Khan for “speaking up” against growing intolerance and insecurity in the country.

Meanwhile, BJP MP Yogi Adityanath said nobody has stopped him from leaving India if he wants to and it will help reduce the country’s population. The MP also said that the comments like the one made by Khan over the alleged intolerance in the country were “politically-motivated”.