‘Beat Pak artistes with shoes’

After Raj Thackeray’s MNS issued an ultimatum to Pakistani actors and artistes to leave India and his cousin Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena backed it following the Uri terror attack, it was the turn of controversial BJP leader Sangeet Som to demand artistes from the neighbouring country should be “beaten with shoes and forced out of this country at any cost”. The BJP ally Shiv Sena had last week said that it was “high time” to accept that “Pakistan cannot be India’s friend and rise above political agendas to take a firm stand on the issue.”

“There are quite a few artistes who are earning crores from here, no one cares about them in Pakistan. They come to Bollywood and earn in crores then they do ‘gaddari’ (betrayal) with India,” said Mr Som, an MLA from Sardhana in Uttar Pradesh and an accused in the Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013, on Monday.

The BJP leader said Pakistani actors and artistes should have given their country a “message that we eat and earn here (India) so such incidents (of terrorism) should not happen here.”

In the wake of the Uri attack by Pakistan-based terrorists, which killed 18 Indian soldiers, the MNS had told Pakistani actors to leave India immediately, threatening to disrupt the shooting of their movies if they do not comply.

“Such people should be beaten with shoes and forced out of this country at any cost. Even an animal who eats at some person’s house shows loyalty. Pakistanis eat from India and then backstab us. (namak harami karte hai). Only a ‘deshbhakt’ should stay in India,” said the BJP leader. “An answer should be given to them and entire Pakistan. Don’t worry, the Indian army will give them a reply.”