Political leaders indulging in competitive communalism on Shah Rukh Khan controversy: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

NEW DELHI: Minister of state for minority affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has alleged that many leaders across parties were indulging in “competitive communalism” in playing up the Shah Rukh Khan controversy.

Actor Shah Rukh Khan had on Monday said there was “growing intolerance” in the country, to which BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya had said that the actor lived in India but his “soul was in Pakistan. He later retracted his statement but had added that had there been intolerance in India, Shah Rukh would not have been the most popular actor after Amitabh Bachchan. He also refused to apologise for his remarks.

“Shah Rukh is an artiste. If he thinks society is getting intolerant, he is free to say that in a democratic set up. People passing uncharitable comments against him is not in good taste. But leaders in many other parties are fuelling the debate. People such as (Asaduddin) Owaisi have been saying things which has fuelled the communal fire,” Naqvi told ET.

Others leaders who lashed out at Khan include BJP MP Yogi Adityanath, who compared him to Pakistani terrorist and 26/11 mastermind, Hafiz Saeed, while adding that he is “welcome” to go to Pakistan. BJP supporter Baba Ramdev said the actor should give up his Padmashree and all the money that came his way following the laurel if he is genuinely concerned over religious intolerance. Naqvi said such statements need to be ignored.