The communal remarks from a minister against a highly successful actor in the country have sparked outrage and criticism from political leaders and activists
Waquar Hasan | Clarion India
NEW DELHI – Emboldened by the inaction over his innumerable hate speeches, Nitesh Rane, prominent BJP leader and a minister in Maharashtra, this time has launched a hate-filled, vitriolic attack on famed Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan calling him “garbage”.
Addressing an event in Pune on Tuesday, Rane, infamous for his inflammatory and Islamophobic rants, not only targeted Khan over his Muslim identity but also expressed doubts over the recent attack on him at his home in Mumbai.
“Look at what Bangladeshis are doing in Mumbai. They entered Saif Ali Khan’s house. Earlier they used to stand at the crossings of the roads, now they have started entering houses. Maybe he came to take him (Saif) away. It is good, garbage should be taken away,” Rane was quoted as saying.
Questioning the attack on Khan, the minister remarked: “I saw when he came out of the hospital, I doubted whether he had been stabbed or he was acting. He was dancing while walking. Whenever any Khan like Shahrukh Khan or Saif Ali Khan gets hurt, everyone starts talking about it. When a Hindu actor like Sushant Singh Rajput is tortured, no one comes forward to say anything.”
Khan was stabbed multiple times by an intruder at his Bandra residence last week. On Tuesday, the actor was discharged from Lilavati Hospital after six days. Khan’s safe return to his home apparently triggered Rane’s tirade against him.
The minister also objected to NCP leaders Jitendra Awhad and Supriya Sule’s concern over the attack on Khan.
“When a Hindu actor like Sushant Singh Rajput is tortured, no one comes forward to say anything… That Mumbra’s Jeetuddin (Jitendra Awhad) and Baramati’s Tai (Supriya Sule) did not come forward to say anything… They are only worried about Saif Ali Khan, Shah Rukh Khan’s son and Nawab Malik… Have you ever seen them worrying about any Hindu artist… You guys should pay attention to all these things,” stated Rane.
The communal remarks from a minister against a highly successful actor in the country have sparked outrage and criticism from political leaders and activists.
“If such remarks are being made by the people in power about Saif Ali Khan, the ordinary citizens should not expect about their safety. These remarks send a message that he should be killed if he is Saif Ali Khan. This is what he wants to try to convey by saying that it would have been good if he (Saif Ali Khan) was taken away by the Bangladeshi,” noted human rights activist Apoorvanand told Clarion India.
The Mumbai police have arrested Shariful Islam, a Bangladesh, based on CCTV footage of the incident. Islam is said to be Bangladeshi immigrants by the police. However, questions are being raised over the actual identity of the accused. According to a forensic investigation done at the behest of the Hindi daily Dainik Bhashkar, the person seen in the CCTV footage and the man arrested by the police are not the same. The features of their faces were found to be different. However, investigation is underway with the accused in police custody.
The language used by Rane calling Saif “garbage” is that of the people from the BJP for Muslims. They are called “garbage”, “insects”, “termites” and “infiltrators” along with other abusive words. “This shows clearly that Muslims should not expect safety from the government,” said Apoorvanand, who is also a professor at Delhi University.
According to him, this is a kind of dehumanisation aimed at humiliating the entire Muslim community. This is the kind of dehumanisation being used by people like (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu against the Palestinians. This is the way Hitler also dehumanised and abused Jews in Germany. The same method is being employed against Muslims in India.
“The main message behind the remarks is that there is no issue if a Muslim is attacked,” he said.
Earlier, Rane faced several FIRs for making hate speeches targeting Muslims. Once, he had threatened to attack Muslims even inside mosques.
“I am threatening you in the language you understand. If you say anything against our Ramgiri Maharaj, we will enter your mosques and beat you up one by one. Keep this in mind,” he had said when there were strong protests last September against the Hindu seer over his blasphemous statements.
The latest remarks have come under sharp criticism from opposition leaders in Maharashtra. Congress leader Husain Dalwai wondered how could a minister make such remarks. “Drama is Nitesh Rane’s job. Does he even know who Saif Ali Khan is? He just says anything. He (Saif Ali Khan) is indeed a big actor, but he comes from a very prominent family. How can a minister talk like this? Who all has (Chief Minister Devendra) Fadnavis appointed ministers?” he said.
Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar said, “It is wrong to make such statements about someone, especially in a religious context. I believe Nitish Rane is being treated as a special case for making such comments. He has been let off earlier also to make such remarks”.
