Yogi Adityanath attacks Shah Rukh Khan, compares him with Hafiz Saeed

NEW DELHI: A day after senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya called Shah Rukh Khan a "deshdrohi" (traitor), party MP Yogi Adityanath compared the Bollywood superstar with Pakistani terrorist Hafiz Saeed. The hardline BJP leader said in Gorakhpur on Wednesday that both Shah Rukh Khan and Saeed — the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack — speak the same language.

"There is no difference in the language Shah Rukh Khan and Saeed speak," said Adityanath. He said if Hindus stopped seeing Shah Rukh Khan’s movies, "he will be on the streets like an ordinary Muslim". Even as he came under attack from sections in the BJP, Shah Rukh on Wednesday received support from BJP ally Shiv Sena and the Congress.

"This country is tolerant and the Muslims are tolerant as well. Shah Rukh Khan should not be targeted only because he is a Muslim," Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said. AICC general secretary Digvijaya Singh said: "I strongly condemn Kailash Vijavargiya’s statement.

Modi should personally apologise to Shah Rukh." Congress’ deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, said: "The PM is encouraging such statements... The PM, his MPs and ministers are all intolerant."