India has become a nation divided over the comment made on Tuesday by popular Bollywood actor and producer, Amir Khan, on what he feels is a wave religious intolerance that has become more prominent in the country over the past few months.
Khan made the comments during the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards event in New Delhi where he shared that in the past six to eight months, he and his wife, Kiran, have observed a “growing despondency” and for the first time ever, she vocalized her concerns to him with a question if they should consider leaving India because of the growing reports of attacks due to religious intolerance.
Some have seen his comments as a critique on the current ruling party of India.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), was formed in 1998, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and ruled India until 2004. They rose back to power during the general elections of 2014. On May 26, 2014 Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi was sworn into office.
"Some people are misleading and some people are misled. Who comes in which category, I do not want to say. Some are propagating wrong things, some are coming under wrong propaganda. My suggestion is that the situation in India is better than any other country. People of India are tolerant," said M Venkaiah Naidu, India's Parliamentary affairs minister.
Many who are supportive of the NDA and BJP are accusing Khan of being part of an unpatriotic conspiracy to defame the nation.
Some members of India's Congress, however, agrees with the actor, taking to Twitter to voice their support for his brave statement knowing the possibility of a backlash against him.
"Instead of branding all those who question the government and Modiji as unpatriotic, anti-national or motivated, the government would do better to reach out to people to understand what's disturbing them. That's the way to solve problems in India - not by bullying, threatening and abusing," said Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
But even Khan's colleagues in the Bollywood film industry are beginning to take sides on opposite ends of the spectrum.
Ram Gopal Varma, who directed Khan in the film “Rangeela” wrote that celebrities should be the last ones to complain about religious intolerance because of the fact that the country he is accusing of being intolerant is also the same country that catapulted him to stardom.
"Aamir, Shah Rukh and Salman -- the three biggest stars of the Hindu country India are Muslims, I don't understand where intolerance is?" he questioned.
Indian film actress turned Congress leader Nakhat Khan, also known by her stage name, Khushboo, defended Khan's statements saying that his celebrity status should not be used against him and his observations of what is happening in the country. She also pointed out other artists who have expressed very similar sentiments to those of Khan. "Those who have returned awards don't work for any particular party but for the nation,” she said.
Others on Twitter are also weighing in on the issue:
Old Fat and Ugly @aamir_khan is trying to find next gig after PK That is why he is making political statement pic.twitter.com/sT6T3Ud4aX
— No Conversion (@noconversion) November 25, 2015
I congratulate @aamir_khan n @A_R_Rehman1966 for speaking out. Wish more people come out n oppose intolerance. — nikhil wagle (@waglenikhil) November 25, 2015
So there they are. Abusing Aamir Khan, threatening, protesting outside his home, and just letting him know how tolerant they are!!
— seemamustafa (@seemamustafa) November 25, 2015
In the wake of his interview at the awards event, Khan has received death threats and security has been beefed up at his home.
A full transcript of the interview with Khan is available online where he also questions the increasing number of his films being censored from being played in theatres.
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