Sena backs SRK, says actor should not be targeted because he is Muslim

MUMBAI: Even as he came under attack from sections in the BJP, Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan on Wednesday received support from the saffron party’s ruling ally Shiv Sena, which said the superstar should not be targeted because he is a Muslim.

“This country is tolerant and the Muslims are tolerant as well. Shah Rukh Khan should not be targeted only because he is a Muslim... (India) has never thought in the name of religion,” Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut told PTI.

BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya triggered a controversy on Tuesday when he tweeted that SRK’s “soul” is in Pakistan though he lives in India. His remarks came a day after the 50-year-old actor said there is “extreme intolerance” in the country.

Earlier on Wednesday controversial BJP MP Yogi Adityanath compared Shah Rukh to Pakistani terrorist Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of Mumbai carnage, over his “extreme intolerance” comment and also suggested that he go to Pakistan.

Slamming Vijayvargiya, Raut asked the BJP general secretary not to bring Pakistan into this debate on tolerance since this was India’s internal matter.

However, Raut rued that Shah Rukh spoke quite late on the issue. “First of all Shah Rukh Khan should not have gotten into this debate on tolerance and secondly, out of the people who have returned their awards, the number of Muslims is almost negligible. Also, Shah Rukh spoke on the issue very late,” he said.

Meanwhile, under fire for his remark against Shah Rukh, Vijayvargiya withdrew his tweets but asserted that had there been intolerance in India, Shah Rukh would not have been the most popular actor after Amitabh Bachchan.