Security beefed up at Shah Rukh’s ‘Mannat’

The Mumbai police has beefed up the security of actor Shah Rukh Khan after the row over his comments on the growing intolerance in the country. Policemen have been stationed at his bungalow Mannat, situated at Bandstand in Bandra (west) for security. His home comes under the jurisdiction of the Bandra police.

The security measures were prompted following a row after his comments that intolerance in the country would take it back to the dark ages, after which some leaders of BJP and Hindu organisations targeted Khan.

A source from the Bandra police station said, “We have sent out seven more constables to his house in addition to the 11 cops already posted there.” According to the source, the additional cops have been posted to stop any morcha at the film star’s house.

According to sources, the State Reserve Police Force, consisting of 30 policemen was also deployed outside Mannat. While commenting on the security of the Bollywood superstar, DCP of Zone 9 Satyanarayan Chaudhary said, “Khan already had security facilities from the Mumbai police.”

Khan, speaking on a TV show on his 50th birthday on November 2, had commented on the increasing “extreme intolerance” in the country. BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya had on Tuesday triggered a controversy when he tweeted that Khan’s “soul” was in Pakistan even though he lived in India.

On Wednesday, controversial BJP MP Yogi Adityanath compared Khan to Pakistani terrorist Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of 26/11 Mumbai carnage and suggested that he go to Pakistan. However, later the BJP strongly disapproved of the comments, saying there could not be any comparison between a law-abiding Indian citizen and a Pakistani terrorist, more so Khan, who is loved and respected. BJP’s ally Shiv Sena had also come out in his support, saying the superstar should not be targeted only because he is Muslim and that the minority community in India is “tolerant”.