Actor Aamir Khan Stands By His Statement On Intolerence In India

By M. Santhiran NEW DELHI, Nov 26 (Bernama) -- Bollywood actor Aamir Khan said he stood by whatever he had said on "increasing level of intolerence" in India. In a statement Wednesday, the 50-year-old actor said he and his wife Kiran Rao had no intention of leaving the country and claimed that whatever attributed to him on the issue was a deliberate attempt to distort what he had actually intended to say. "India is my country, I love it, I feel fortunate for being born here, and this is where I am staying," said Aamir after coming under heavy criticism, especially from supporters and leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). To those calling him an anti-national, he wished to say that he was proud to be Indian and he didn't need anyone's permission nor endorsement for that. "To all the people shouting obscenities at me for speaking my heart out, it saddens me to say that you are only proving my point," Khan lashed out. On the same note, Khan said all those people who had stood by him showed what the people of India stood for. Tuesday, several leaders of the BJP and social media users described Khan's statement as "alarmist". Khan, in a talk show shared this view, disagreeing with media and politicians who continued to link terrorist groups with religion. He was also quoted as saying that religious intolerence might force him and his family to migrate. -- BERNAMA