Kiran says ‘should we move out of India?’ That’s a disastrous and big statement for Kiran to make. She fears for her child

New Delhi, Nov. 23 (The Telegraph): On the controversy over writers, filmmakers, academics and other creative people returning their awards -which Jaitley had termed "manufactured revolt" - the actor said "awards wapsi" was one way of sending a message.

In the audience were Union ministers Venkaiah Naidu, Najma Heptulla, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Rajiv Pratap Rudy, apart from Jaitley who walked out while Aamir was in full flow. It was unclear whether the finance minister had a prior appointment.

Asked whether he should speak out on behalf of the "moderate" Muslim, Aamir said: "I may have been born in a Muslim family but I represent everyone."

To a question, the actor stressed that he condemned all acts of terrorism, including the murder of innocents in the name of religion.

Earlier this month, actor Shah Rukh Khan's remarks against the climate of intolerance had brought him a lot of stick not just from the "Modi bhakts" on social media but also senior BJP politicians.

Although none from the BJP had commented on Aamir's remarks till late tonight, the trolls were out in strength on the social media. They accused Aamir of "love jihad" for marrying a Hindu and dubbed his comments a "publicity stunt", virtually echoing Jaitley's rebuke to those returning their awards.

Much of Aamir's censure was directed at elected representatives. "People who are our elected representatives, people who we select to look after us for five years, state or Centre... when people take law into their hands, we look upon these people to take a strong stance, to make a strong statement, speed up the legal process," he said.

"When we see that happening there is a sense of security but when we don't see that happening there is a sense of insecurity."

He castigated the political play following the lynching of a Muslim man in Dadri over beef-eating allegations.

"It does not matter who is in power. In TV debates we see - BJP is currently ruling and they are accused of various things but they say, 'What about 1984?' That does not make it right - 1984 was disastrous, it was horrendous."

Asked about politicians making a beeline for Dadri while only the defence minister visited the home of Col Santosh Mahadik, killed by militants last week, the actor said: "Every act of terror and violence should be condemned with the same ferocity."

He said he was worried about events like the recent Paris attacks by the Islamic State.

"I don't think that was an Islamic act. A person holding the Quran and killing people, he may be feeling he is doing an Islamic act but as a Muslim, I don't think he is doing an Islamic act," he said.

"I'm very clear that a person who is killing innocents is not a Muslim. He may claim to be a Muslim but we should not recognise him like that. He is a terrorist and should be recognised as a terrorist."

Asked about those returning their awards, Aamir said: "For creative people, one of the ways of expressing their dissatisfaction or their disappointment is to return their awards. I think that's one way of getting your point across."

He added: "All individuals have a right to protest and they can protest in any manner that they feel is right as long as they are not taking the law into their hands."

BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, said to be close to party president Amit Shah, had tweeted after SRK's comments: "Shah Rukh Khan lives in India, but his heart is in Pakistan."

Following a furore, he claimed to have withdrawn his remark and offered an apology on November 4. But his tweets criticising Shah Rukh were available on his timeline this evening.

Actor Aamir Khan today condemned the growing intolerance in the country with Arun Jaitley and four other Union ministers listening, shaking the audience by revealing that his wife Kiran Rao was disturbed enough to consider leaving the country with her entire family.

"When I sit at home and talk to Kiran, she says, 'Should we move out of India?' That's a disastrous and big statement for Kiran to make," the actor said during a question-and-answer session at the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards event hosted by The Indian Express newspaper. Finance minister Jaitley was the chief guest.

"She fears for her child. She fears about what the atmosphere around us will be. She feels scared to open the newspapers every day," Aamir added.

Aamir, the second among Bollywood's Khan trio to have spoken out on the subject, cited "an increased sense of despondency in India over the last six to eight months".

He added: "I can't deny... I have been alarmed by a number of incidents."

Aamir chided the "elected representatives" for failing "to take a strong stance, to make a strong statement, speed up the legal process" and thus heightening the "sense of insecurity".

Photo credit: The Telegraph