Mumbai:Bollywood writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar's remarks on equating the Taliban with the RSS has sparked a row with Maharashtra MLA and BJP spokesperson Ram Kadam saying that no film of the lyricist will be allowed to be screened in the country till he apologises for his unjust remarks.
Akhtar, during an interaction with a national news channel, drew a parallel between the Taliban and "those who want a Hindu Rashtra". He said the right-wing across the world want the same things. "Just like the Taliban want an Islamic State, there are those who want a Hindu Rashtra. These people are of the same mindset -- be it Muslim, Christian, Jews or Hindus," he said.
Of course, the lyricist was more scathing when it came to the Taliban terming it "barbaric" and their actions are "reprehensible" but then went on to add, "those supporting the RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal are all the same."
Rattled by Akhtar's remarks, the BJP spokesman Ram Kadam took to Twitter saying, "This statement by Javed Akhtar is not just shameful, but painful and humiliating for crores of functionaries of the Sangh and the Vishva Hindu Parishad and crores of people across the world who follow their ideology."
In a video message that Kadam also shared on Twitter, Kadam said: "Before making these remarks, he should have thought that people with the same ideology are running the government now, are fulfilling raj dharma. If the ideology was Talibani, would he have been able to make these remarks? This shows how hollow his statements are."
"We will not allow any of his films to run in this land of Ma Bharti till he apologises with folded hands to the functionaries of the Sangh who have dedicated their lives to the nation," said Kadam, who is MLA from Ghatkopar West.
Akhtar also said, "I have total faith in the basic sensibility of an average Indian. The majority of this nation is extremely decent and tolerant. That must be respected. India will never become a Talibani country."
