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'India's fight against terrorism not art': Yogi Adityanath backs Salman Khan in Pak actor row

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Yogi Adityanath and Salman Khan
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Extending his support to Bollywood actor Salman Khan for his stand on Pakistani artistes working in the country, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Gorakhpur Yogi Adityanath has asserted that India's fight is against terrorism and not against any particular form of art. 'Our fight is against terrorism. It's not against any art or cultural programme,' Adityanath told the media here. Salman Khan faced public ire after he slammed the decision taken by the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association by saying that Pakistani actors were artists and not terrorists. 

Yogi Adityanath’s statement is quite a departure from earlier days when he had blasted SRK during the intolerance row when he said: “I am saying these people are speaking the language of terror. I think there is no difference in the language of Shah Rukh Khan and Hafiz Saeed. We welcome that people go there (Pakistan), at least people who defame India will understand their own originality.” 

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray turned the heat on Salman Khan and threatened to ban his movies if he continued supporting artistes from Pakistan. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Manisha Kayande told ANI yesterday that Salman Khan needs to be taught a lesson for his statement. "If he has so much love for Pakistani artists, he should migrate there," she added. 

MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday blasted Bollywood star Salman Khan for opposing the ban on Pakistani artists in India, saying soldiers guarding our borders face real bullets unlike film actors.

"Our soldiers don't have any personal animosity with Pakistan soldiers. The bullets our soldiers face are not filmy. Salman gets up after being hit by a bullet," Raj said reacting to Salman's remarks, adding that "I have seen his (Salman's) tubelight blinker many a times." "I am also an artist and artists don't fall from the sky.

Pakistani artists have refused to condemn Uri attacks. Why should our artists speak up for them," Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief told reporters. The MNS president wondered what would happen if Indian soldiers keep aside their arms wanting to hear a Ghulam Ali concert. "What will happen then. Are soldiers our servants? ...they are protecting us," he said.

Refusing to buy the argument that there is no justification to ban Pakistani artists since they are not terrorists, Raj said, "How does that concern me if the people are good. I am seeing only terrorists who come to kill our people."

He said film industry knows only the business of their films. "But the (MS) Dhoni biopic has been banned in Pakistan. Is there dearth of talent in India that we should take artists from the neighbouring country," he asked. Interestingly, Raj is on good terms with Salman and is a regular visitor to the actor's home during the Ganpati festival.

Salman had on Friday said that artistes from Pakistan should not be treated like terrorists and art and terrorism should not be mixed. The Indian Motion Picture Producers Association has passed a resolution to ban Pakistani actors from the industry in the wake of the Uri attack, which left 19 soldiers dead.

The resolution came after Indian Army announced that seven terror launch pads were targeted across the LoC by special forces during a 'surgical strike'. "Pakistani artistes are just artistes and not terrorists. Terrorism and art are two different subjects," Salman had said, when asked about his take on banning the actors from Pakistan. 


With inputs from agencies 

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