The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday reacted strongly to filmmaker Anurag Kashyap's tweets at Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the controversy around the release of Karan Johar's latest movie, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.
While BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh said such comments do not go well with the national mood at a time when Indian is trying to isolate Pakistan, other members had more severe words for the director.
"This kind of statement coming from a director-producer of Bollywood is condemnable. And the reason I say condemnable is because after the Uri attack there was a national demand to punish Pakistan and rightly the government along with the armed forces did that," said Singh.
"Making these statements when the Prime Minister and the government is isolating Pakistan doesn't go with the national mood. Somewhere I feel that pride of the nation is missing and pride of a movie has taken over Anurag Kashyap," he added.
GLV Narsimha Rao, BJP's national spokesperson dispensed with any veneer of civility.
He continued:
Voicing his support for Karan Johar amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the ban on Pakistani artistes in India, Kashyap had lashed out at Prime Minister Modi and asked him why he hasn't yet apologised for meeting his counterpart, Nawaz Sharif.
The 44-year-old Bollywood celebrity took to twitter to fire a series of questions and comments addressing the prime minister.
He further raised questions:
Finally ending with,
The comments came as a follow-up of his satirical tweet earlier, which read,
The film writer-director cum-producer expressed his annoyance on social media after the Cinema Owners Exhibitors Association of India (COEAI) the cinema owners' association decided to stay the release of movies starring Pakistani artistes in the four states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Goa.
After being viciously attacked by politicians and BJP supporters on Twitter, Kashyap retaliated in a series of tweets.
Just to make it clear, I complain because I expect my government to protect us, I question the PM because I have every right to..
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) October 16, 2016
I am not going to address a party that has become redundant and irrelevant and is trying to find relevance again by using the film industry
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) October 16, 2016
We have been vulnerable for long, and have been paying the price by being used by every one to find any kind of standing..
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) October 16, 2016
And the real trade between the two countries across the border has not faced any kind of opposition, but we must pay the price for it
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) October 16, 2016
And anyone who questions my love for the country by shouting , must prove there love by representing the country either on the border ..
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) October 16, 2016
Or prove your love by representing the country in a honourable way.. Not by shouting here..
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) October 16, 2016
And yes sir @narendramodi we need protection.. It's really high time..
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) October 16, 2016
I refuse to live in the fear created by blind fanatics that you cannot have a conversation with your PM or question him or expect from him
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) October 16, 2016
I would rather ask my questions directly to the PM than trying to impress him by fake nationalism of banning "what puts you in news"
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) October 16, 2016
And media should stop trying to call me because you are wasting your time,because this all that I have to say and they were not drunk tweets
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) October 16, 2016
(Written with agencies.)
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