Lashing out again on the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra Government, the Shiv Sena has slammed the Chief Minister for having a ‘ double-faced’ policy. Sena said that Pakistan maestro Ghulam Ali was being warmly welcomed but on the other hand Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan was being told to go to the hostile neighbour.
In their mouthpiece-Saamna, Sena said, “On one side the Chief Minister invites Ghulam Ali from Pakistan, saying they would be providing full security to him and on the other hand they order Shah Rukh Khan to go to Pakistan. This is double faced politics that is going on.”
While the editorial criticised Khan for his ‘outrageous advocacy’, saying he often dips in ‘whirlpool of controversies’, they also strongly condemned the verbal attack on him.
“Targeting him because he is a Muslim and telling him to go to Pakistan is unfair,” it added.
“Hafiz Saeed and many like him are trying to create a divide between the Muslim community in India and strong steps should be taken to stop it. The politicians should not criticise Khan over the debate of intolerance,” the editorial said.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kailash Vijayvargiya had earlier slammed the actor saying he ‘lives in India but his soul is in Pakistan’.
However, after facing national flak for his controversial statement, Vijayvargiya retracted his statement saying he had been misquoted and that he had not intended to ‘hurt any sentiments’ with his remark.
BJP MP Yogi Adityanath also raised a furore after comparing Khan to 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed, and said he is ‘welcome’ to go to Pakistan.