Controversial Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Sadhvi Prachi on Monday called Shah Rukh Khan a ‘Pakistani agent’ after the Bollywood megastar said there was extreme religious intolerance in the country.
Prachi said that the King Khan should move in to Pakistan instead.
Prachi said, “By talking about returning the awards (including Padma Shri) he has committed treason. He should be punished for this. Not only Shah Rukh Khan, but all those who have returned their awards should be tried for treason,” said Sadhvi Prachi.
Khan, who turned 50 on Monday, had told a news channel that he agreed the religious intolerance was growing in India.
When asked if he too would consider returning his Padma award, Khan had said, “Just for symbolic gesture yes, if I have to. But, there’s intolerance, there’s an extreme intolerance. I think there’s growing intolerance. People just put words in the air even before thinking. And here’s a secular country. Here’s a country…We keep talking about modern India, we keep talking about progress and we keep talking about new India. Ours is a 25+ country, if we don’t allow our youngsters to be secular, they are not going to stand for it. It’s stupid to be intolerant. Being religious intolerant and not being secular is the worst crime you can do as a patriot.”
Prachi had, in the past, also demanding boycotting the films starring Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been accused of proving tacit support to the communally charged statements and acts of violence as they helped him extract electoral mileage.
On Monday, senior BJP leader, Arun Shourie, had launched a stinging attack on Modi and the BJP chief Amit Shah accusing both of fanning communal tension for electoral gains.