Noted lyricist Javed Akhtar on Wednesday attacked a French national, now living in India, for questioning why Aamir Khan was being allowed to act in Mahabharat movie series.
A known Islamophobe and a self-proclaimed author, François Gautier, had audaciously questioned the rationale behind Aamir Khan possibly playing a lead role in the Mahabharat movie series. He wrote, “Why should @AamirKhan, a Muslim, play in most ancient & sacred of Hindu epics, the Mahabharata? Is @BJP4India Govt of @narendramodi going to be like the @INCIndia & just stand by in name of secularism??? Would Muslims allow a Hindu to play life of Mohamed?”
This evoked an angry reaction from Javed Akhtar, who called the French bigot a scoundrel before asking which foreign agency was paying him to spread ‘this kind of perverse and poisonous thoughts’ in India. Akhtar wrote, “You scoundrel, have you not seen peter brooks production of this great epic Mahabharsta in France . I would like to know which foreign agency is paying you to spread this kind of perverse and poisonous thoughts in our country.”
You scoundrel, have you not seen peter brooks production of this great epic Mahabharsta in France . I would like to know which foreign agency is paying you to spread this kind of perverse and poisonous thoughts in our country
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) March 21, 2018
Gautier, a French national, has been living in India since 1971. In the past he’s supported the need for militant Hindutva and even defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Gujarat’s genocide of 2002 during the latter’s time as the state’s state chief minister. He’s even defended the genocide of more than 2,000 people calling it a revenge act. He has also justified the rampant fake encounters during the BJP government under Modi in Gujarat.
His comments targetting Aamir for his religious background did not go down well with users with many even asking the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to deport the hate-monger.
Madam @SushmaSwaraj this man being a foreigner in India is spreading hate between two religious followers of the country, how is that @MEAIndia is not taking any action against him??? @HMOIndia @RahulGandhi @RifatJawaid @divyaspandana @INCIndia @CMofKarnataka
Javed Saab. People like Gautier are repeat offenders. Unfortunately the rabid right treats him like a poster boy
— Yogesh Pawar (@powerofyogesh) March 22, 2018
@fgautier26 Just go watch this beautiful ‘Hindu’ composition. https://t.co/QdcG6SV6Y1
The singer #MohammedRafi, composer #Naushad & lyricist #ShakeelBadayuni were all #Muslim. And yet no film song has ever been as Hindu in ethos!!!— Yogesh Pawar (@powerofyogesh) March 22, 2018
Sir no foreign agency is paying them..these all are ghar ke bhedi .This might be id of some fakirchand with thia fake identity..And these days political parties are paying to this IT cell..
— Jatinder Singh (@shunty70) March 22, 2018
I would love to see any artist, irrespective of religion, to be in it. Aamir will be awesome. You can tell the millions (probably you are in contact with them) to shut there eyes and not see it.
— Sumit (@Sumit_SDsharma) March 22, 2018