Security heightened outside Aamir Khan’s house, 7 protesters held

The Mumbai police on Tuesday beefed up the security of actor Aamir Khan after his comments on Monday about growing intolerance in the country snowballed into a major controversy. The police also arrested seven Hindu Sena activists for allegedly protesting outside the residence of the actor at Bandra (west).

Senior BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain, who was in Mumbai on Tuesday, said that the debate on intolerance was nothing but a conspiracy by the Congress party to defame India as the party cannot tolerate an elected government and a popular Prime Minister. Responding to Aamir’s statement that his wife Kiran Rao had even suggested that they should probably leave the country, Mr Hussain said that there is no country like India and no better neighbour than a Hindu for an Indian Muslim.

Mr Hussain said Aamir’s comments showed that he is not scared but is scaring others and the BJP rejects his charge.

“There is no country like India and no better neighbour than a Hindu for an Indian Muslim. What is the situation in Muslim countries and Europe There is intolerance everywhere. India is the most secular state where Muslims enjoy equal rights. In our country, an artist is not judged by his caste and religion but by his art,” the BJP leader said.

Referring to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who has come out in support of the actor, Mr Hussain said, “This shows Congress’ complicity in the campaign to malign the country.”

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis refused to comment on Aamir’s comment. “I have better things to do than react to such statements. There are more pressing issues in the state than talking about these things,” Mr Fadnavis said.

Mumbai police spokesperson, deputy commissioner of police, Dhananjay Kulkarni said that they had provided security outside the actor’s residence to prevent any untoward incident and arrested the protesters soon after they started their protest.

The Khar police arrested seven persons who held protests outside the residence of Aamir Khan. The protest took place for a short span of time in the afternoon at the actor's Pali Hill residence. The protesters wanted Aamir Khan to apologise and take back his statements.

Senior police inspector of Khar police station Dattatray Bargude said, “We arrested the seven persons. A first information report has been registered against them under the Bombay Police Act. The protesters were carrying flags."

Speaking at an award function in Delhi on Monday the actor had said, “(His wife) Kiran and I have lived all our lives in India. For the first time, she said, should we move out of India That’s a disastrous and big statement for Kiran to make to me.

She fears for her child. She fears about what the atmosphere around us will be.

She feels scared to open the newspapers everyday. That does indicate that there is a sense of growing disquiet.