Right-wing supremacists, social media trolls as well as the regime’s faithful lapdogs have dragged Aamir Khan into the middle of several inexplicable controversies over the last few years. The most recent instance is the completely unnecessary brouhaha over a CEAT tyres ad where Khan advises people not to burst crackers on roads.

It is noteworthy that Khan doesn’t ask people to not celebrate Diwali or not burst crackers… he just advises them not to do so on the road. Now, one could say this is rather sound advice, given how the middle of the road is certainly not a place to burst crackers. One can always do so in open parks, gardens, building or housing society compounds etc. as these are open air spaces where people don’t have to worry about being run over by vehicles, and vehicle owners don’t have to worry about damage to their vehicles.

But Khan’s detractors read it as a Muslim man advising people against celebrating a Hindu festival, giving the entire message a communal colour. Watch the ad and judge for yourself:

In a letter dated October 14, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Karnataka Ananthkumar Hegde has urged MD and CEO Anant Vardhan Goenka to take note of how Muslims block roads during azaans, suggesting that the ad has hurt sentiments of Hindus by exclusively targeting them while ignoring how other communities cause what he feels are similar inconveniences.

“Your company’s recent advertisement in which Aamir Khan is advising people not to firecrackers on the streets is giving a very good message. Your concern for public issues needs applause. In this regard, I request you to address one more problem faced by people on roads, i.e., blocking roads in the name of namaz on Fridays and other important festive days by Muslims,” Hegde wrote, adding, “As you are very keen and sensitive towards the problems faced by the general public and you also belong to the Hindu community, I am sure you can feel the discrimination done to the Hindus for centuries.”

Hegde also wrote about how certain “non-Hindu” actors always hurt Hindu sentiments and stay silent on the “wrongdoings of their community”, thereby placing Aamir Khan’s Muslim identity front and centre in this controversy.

It didn’t matter that the ad was part of a series on road safety and had included advice against driving on the “wrong side” or dancing on the street during wedding processions.

But this isn’t the first time Khan has been targeted for his faith. It all began when Aamir Khan gave an interview to Shekhar Gupta for NDTV in 2005, criticizing Narendra Modi for the way in which he failed to prevent the killing of innocent people during the 2002 Gujarat genocide. “There were Indians being killed by someone who is supposedly a leader and he is responsible, he and his party are responsible for the killings,” Khan had said at the time, adding, “In my opinion, people who indulge in these kinds of things are the most unpatriotic and completely Anti-Indian.” Narendra Modi was chief Minister of Gujarat at the time.

In 2006, Khan joined activist Medha Patkar, who is best known for the Narmada Bachao Andolan, to demand rehabilitation of families displaced due to the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam. Khan refused to take back his statements despite huge protests in Gujarat, where the dam had been hailed as a life saver as it provided water to areas that had hitherto not had access to it. The state government (still under Modi) had decided not to allow his movie Fanaa from being screened in Gujarat. Aamir Khan refused to budge from his stand on Narmada and called for a press conference in May 2006, where he said, “Let me specify that I am not opposed to Narmada dam construction. All I want is that the people, who have been ousted by the construction of the dam, should get alternative accommodation.” He further asked, “I will not apologise. Why should I apologise? I am not saying anything wrong. Even the Supreme Court of India says the same. So will the BJP tell the Supreme Court of India to apologise as well?”

Modi became India’s Prime Minister in May 2014, and in November 2015, Khan had shared how the growing religious intolerance in the country was a serious cause of concern, and how his wife at the time, Kiran Rao, had suggested they move to another country. Khan was speaking at the Ramnath Goenka Award ceremony that year and said, “Kiran and I have lived all our lives in India, and she says to me, ‘should we move out of India?’ She fears for our child given the atmosphere.” He also referred to a sense of growing “despondency and disquiet” and how this was causing “alarm and was depressing”.

Shortly afterwards, social media erupted with many celebrities who are seen to be close to the present regime questioning Aamir’s statement, some even accusing him of being ungrateful to the country that made him a star.

Dear @aamir_khan. Did you ask Kiran which country would she like to move out to? Did you tell her that this country has made you AAMIR KHAN.

— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) November 23, 2015

Now that @aamir_khan also feels we are an #IntolerantNation. Let us now go all out and prove once for all that we are really intolerant.

— Ashoke Pandit (@ashokepandit) November 23, 2015

Meanwhile, right-wing trolls launched a vicious campaign against him, urging, in fact bullying, brands to end their association with him. In January the following year, Aamir Khan’s contract with Incredible India was not renewed by the Ministry of Tourism. In February, Snapdeal snapped ties with Khan after facing intense pressure from people who gave it a single-star rating in the Google App store thus downgrading it. In December 2016, it was revealed by journalist Swati Chaturvedi in her book titled I am a Troll, that Snapdeal was forced to drop Khan due to pressure from the BJP IT cell.

And things have gotten uglier since then. In fact, earlier this year when Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao announced their divorce, Twitter trolls once again went on to target Khan for his religion. He was now painted as a poster-boy for “Love Jihad”, with multiple accounts with followers ranging from 20 to over 50,000 posting identical tweets. Sample this:

Aamir Khan married a Hindu, had 2 children & then got divorced. He again married a Hindu, had a child and got divorced.

The elites would still be in denial over the menace of Love-Jihad. If this is not Love-Jihad, then what is? pic.twitter.com/TuiAA9dLPn

— The Jaipur Dialogues (@JaipurDialogues) July 3, 2021

Aamir Khan married a Hindu, had 2 children & then got divorced. He again married a Hindu, had a child and got divorced.

The elites would still be in denial over the menace of Love-Jihad. If this is not Love-Jihad, then what is? pic.twitter.com/E9nWFPDyL9

— जय श्री राम । Wannabe Kisan। Rajeev Vaid (@RajeevVaid) July 3, 2021

Aamir Khan married a Hindu, had 2 children & then got divorced. He again married a Hindu, had a child and got divorced.

The elites would still be in denial over the menace of Love-Jihad. If this is not Love-Jihad, then what is? ?? pic.twitter.com/Wx5tVFVQ91

— Naren Mukherjee ?? (@narendra52) July 4, 2021

The Ceat Tyres controversy though appears to be fizzling out with trolls directing their wrath towards cricketer Mohammed Shami after India lost a match to Pakistan over the weekend.

Related:

BJP MP says Aamir Khan’s CEAT Tyres Diwali ad hurts Hindu sentiments

The post Aamir Khan: Surviving in the regime’s crosshairs appeared first on SabrangIndia.

In yet another example of the right-wing taking offence over the actions of minorities, BJP MP from Karnataka Ananthkumar Hegde, has penned a woefully sarcastic letter criticizing CEAT Tyres ad featuring actor Aamir Khan.

In the CEAT ad, Aamir Khan is seen advising people to not burst crackers on the streets.

The ad may be viewed here:

In the letter dated October 14, Hegde wrote to the company’s MD and CEO Anant Vardhan Goenka and requested him to take cognisance of the recent advertisement creating “unrest among the Hindus”, reported Indian Express.

With a hint of sarcasm, he further wrote, “Your company’s recent advertisement in which Aamir Khan is advising people not to firecrackers on the streets is giving a very good message. Your concern for public issues needs applause. In this regard, I request you to address one more problem faced by people on roads, i.e., blocking roads in the name of namaz on Fridays and other important festive days by Muslims.”

He also commented on how Azans are loud due to use of microphones. “As you are very keen and sensitive towards the problems faced by the general public and you also belong to the Hindu community, I am sure you can feel the discrimination done to the Hindus for centuries,” he added.

He also stated that some “non-Hindu actors” always hurt Hindu sentiments and stay silent on the “wrongdoings of their community”.

The ad uploaded on Youtube on the CEAT tyres official account already has over 11,000 dislikes compared to only 2,000 likes which is clearly an indication of the number of people who have been privy to the comments of Hegde. The comments are full of the same diatribe, “Awaiting next advertisement on avoiding NAMAZ on road, rail track, market and other public places,” or “If road is not for crackers then road is also not for namaz!!”

Some comments also object to CEAT taking Aamir Khan in the ad saying, “Shame on CEAT Tyres who hires these kind of Chameleon actors to School us for our Dearest Festivals”

Clearly, the objection is not just to the idea that crackers should not be burst on roads, but to the fact that an actor, unaligned to the right wing agenda, and belonging to Muslim community, is preaching to Hindus about a Hindu festival. Years ago Aamir Khan was heavily criticised for commenting on the growing intolerance in the country and now his remarks have been proved to be true by the extreme right wing mentality of taking offence over every content that makes a commentary on any Hindu ritual or tradition.

This CEAT ad incident comes close on the heels of Fab India’s Diwali ad campaign which met with the ire of the right-wing for using urdu words in a campaign for the Hindu festival of Diwali. The campaign was called “Jashn-e-riwaaz” translated as celebration of tradition. The concept of language and religion being mutually exclusive is new in this right-wing dominated country. The massive trolling led by Tejaswi Surya ensured that garment giant FabIndia removed its seasonal advertisement.

Related:

Jashn-e-trolling: What does the festive season mean for bhakts?

Furfura Sharif cleric Pirzada Abbas Siddiqui adds fuel to communal fire

Chhattisgarh: A dead woman’s ‘ghar wapsi’ before final rites were allowed

The post BJP MP says Aamir Khan’s CEAT Tyres Diwali ad hurts Hindu sentiments appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Aamir Khan is known for staying away from award functions. The 53-year-old actor had also created a stir not long ago with his remark about growing intolerance in the country to an extent that his own wife was wondering whether they should migrate to another country. Right-wing Hindus had responded to his comments by calling for a boycott of his films, declared him “anti-national” and asked him to go to Pakistan.

That was in 2015. Now the Indian Express has a story about the same Aamir Khan accepting an award from RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. He received the Vishesh Puraskar from Bhagwat at the 75^th Dinanath Mangeshkar Awards function for his performance in Dangal, one of the biggest hits of 2016.

Dangal was based on the story of Mahavir Singh Phogat and his struggle to train his two daughters, Geeta Phogat and Babita Phogat, to win accolades in wrestling, a sport that is usually dominated by men.

“Today wherever I am, the credit goes to all the writers who have written my films. I am here because of the directors and writer for the wonderful work they’ve done. I thank all of them,” he said while receiving the award.
 

The post The new normal: Aamir Khan, All Smiles, Accepts Award from RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat appeared first on SabrangIndia.

साध्वी के अनुसार, बीजेपी आईटी सेल के हेड ने स्नैपडील पर आमिर से अनुबंध तुड़वाने का दबाव बनाने के लिए सोशल मीडिया पर कैंपेन चलाने का आदेश दिया था। जिसके बाद सोशल मीडिया पर भाजपा के कार्यकर्ताओ ने स्नैपडील के खिलाफ अभियान चलाया था। जिसके बाद लोगों ने अपने फोन से स्नैपडील के एप भी अनइन्स्टॉल करना शुरु कर दिया था।

जनता का रिपोर्टर ने जुलाई में साध्वी खोसला से बात की थी जिसमें उन्होंने बताया था कि उन्होंने स्वाती चतुर्वेदी से कुछ कथित व्हाट्सऐप मैसेज साझा किए हैं। स्वाती चतुर्वेदी की किताब I am a Troll जल्द ही लोगों के बीच आने वाली है। पत्रकार साध्वी खोसला ने साल 2015 के आखिरी में बीजेपी सोशल मीडिया सेल छोड़ दिया था।

आमिर खान ने नवंबर 2015 में देश में असहिष्णुता होने की बात कही थी। उन्होंने 23 नवंबर 2015 को रामनाथ गोयनका अवार्ड में कहा था कि देश में असहिष्णुता के चलते उनका परिवार असुरक्षित महसूस करता है। उन्होंने ने कहा था ‘पहले की तुलना में थोड़ा डर है। मुझे लगता है कि थोड़ी असुरक्षा है। जब मैं घर में होता हूं और किरण (पत्नी) से बात करता हूं। किरण और मैं अपनी पूरी जिंदगी भारत में रहे हैं।

“पहली बार उसने कहा कि क्या हमें भारत से बाहर जाना चाहिए? किरण का यह बयान मेरे लिए डरावना और बड़ा था। उसे अपने बच्चे का डर था। उसे डर है कि हमारे आसपास का माहौल कैसा होगा। वह रोज जब अखबार खोलती है तो डरती है।”

खोसला ने जनता का रिपोर्टर को बताया था कि आमिर के इस बयान के बाद बीजेपी की सोशल मीडिया सेल ने आमिर को स्नैपडील से हटाने के लिए एक मुहिम शुरू की थी। साध्वी खोसला ने कुछ व्हाट्सऐप मैसेज साझा किए जो कथित तौर पर बीजेपी IT सेल के हेड अरविंद गुप्ता ने उन्हें और कुछ अन्य ग्रुप्स में भेजे थे। आमिर खान के बयान के दो दिन बाद भेजे गए एक मैसेज में लिखा था, “स्नैपडील इंडिया के लिए याचिका पर हस्ताक्षर कीजिए।

स्नैपडील से आमिर खान को अपने विज्ञापनों से हटाने की अपील कीजिए।” इस मैसेज के नीचे ऑनलाइन याचिका का एक लिंक दिया गया था, जिसपर साइन करना था। आमिर के इस बयान के कुछ महीने बाद ई-कॉमर्स कंपनी स्नैपडील ने उनका ब्रांड एंबेसेडर का कांट्रेक्ट रिन्यू नहीं किया था।

हालांकि जब अरविंद गुप्ता से इस बारे में पूछा गया तो उन्होंने स्वीकार किया कि वह भाजपा के IT विभाग के हेड हैं, लेकिन साथ ही उन्होंने साध्वी खोसला के दावों को नकार दिया था। उन्होंने कहा कि खोसला कांग्रेस को सपोर्ट करती हैं और इसी कारण ऐसे झूठे दावे कर रही हैं।

साथ ही आपको बता दे कि इस बात के कुछ दिनों बाद ही अपनी प्रशंसा में रक्षा मंत्री मनोहर पर्रिकर ने इस बात की पृष्टि की थी कि उनको इस बात की जानकारी थी कि बीजेपी का आई टी सेल आमिर खान के खिलाफ इस तरह की मुहिम को चला रहा है।

Courtesy: Janta Ka Reporter

The post भाजपा IT सेल हेड ने चलाया था आमिर खान को स्नैपडील से हटाने के लिए सोशल मीडिया कैंपेन appeared first on SabrangIndia.

क्या यह दोहरा मापदंड है। अरे नहीं-नहीं!
 
पाकिस्तान के फिल्म डिस्ट्रीब्यूटर्स, आमिर खान की चर्चित फिल्म दंगल को अपने यहां रिलीज कराने के लिए जोर लगाए हुए हैं। उन्हें उम्मीद है कि नवाज शरीफ इस फिल्म को देश में रिलीज कराने की मंजूरी दे देंगे और जल्द ही पाकिस्तान के सिनेमाप्रेमी इस सुनहरे पर्दे पर देख सकेंगे।
 
भले ही पाकिस्तानी फिल्म एक्टर फवाद खान स्टारर करन जौहर की फिल्म ‘ऐ दिल है मुश्किल’ के रिलीज का भारत में कितना भी विरोध क्यों न हुआ हो। लेकिन फवाद पर्दे पर भारतीय स्टार की तरह ही दिखते हैं। उम्मीद है कि आमिर खान की फिल्म को पाकिस्तान का यह हश्र नहीं होगा। पाकिस्तान इस फिल्म को अपने यहां रिलीज कराने की मंजूरी दे देगा। हालांकि यह नहीं भूलना नहीं चाहिए महाराष्ट्र नवनिर्माण सेना (राज ठाकरे की पार्टी) ने ऐ दिल मुश्किल पर पंचायती की थी। तेलंगाना के बीजेपी एमएलए राजा सिंह ने फिल्म के रिलीज होने का जोरदार विरोध किया था क्योंकि इसमें पाकिस्तानी स्टार फवाद खान एक्टिंग कर रहे थे। इसके बाद ठाकरे ने बीच-बचाव कर फिल्म रिलीज कराई थी।
 
बहरहाल, पाकिस्तानी मीडिया की रिपोर्टों के मुताबिक वहां के सूचना, प्रसारण और राष्ट्रीय विरासत मंत्रालय ने वाणिज्य मंत्रालय के साथ मिलकर शरीफ से आमिर खान स्टारर दंगल को रिलीज की इजाजत देने की मांग की है। पाकिस्तान के डिस्ट्रीब्यूटरों ने भारतीय मीडिया की उन खबरों को खारिज किया है, जिनमें कहा गया है कि दंगल वहां रिलीज नहीं होगी। उन्होंने कहा कि फिल्म पाकिस्तान में रिलीज होगी भले ही इसमें एक सप्ताह की देर हो।
 
जियो फिल्म के मोहम्मद नासिर ने कहा कि भारतीय मीडिया में गलत खबरें आ रही हैं। हां यह सही है कि फिल्म को रिलीज करने में दिक्कत आ रही है लेकिन हमने उम्मीद नहीं छोड़ी है। फिल्म को रिलीज होने में एक सप्ताह की देरी हो सकती है। हालांकि इस बारे में अभी कोई पुख्ता फैसला नहीं हुआ है।
 
पाकिस्तान के सिनेमाघर दंगल और कुछ अन्य भारतीय फिल्मों से उम्मीद लगाए बैठे हैं। ये फिल्में जनवरी में शुरू होंगी ताकि पिछले तीन महीने से फिल्मों की रिलीज बंद करने पर लगाई गई स्वैच्छिक रोक से हुए घाटे की भरपाई हो सके। हालांकि प्रतिबंध चुपके से पिछले सप्ताह हटा लिया गया था। लेकिन दंगल के रिलीज होने पर अनिश्चितता कायम है।

आधिकारिक रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक इस फिल्म के स्थानीय वितरक जियो फिल्म आमिर से सीधी चिट्ठी-पत्री में लगे हैं। आमिर इस फिल्म के निर्माता भी हैं। उनकी मदद से दंगल को पाकिस्तान में रिलीज होने की उम्मीद लगाई जा रही है। वैसे पाकिस्तानी मंत्रालय के सूत्रों का कहना है कि सिर्फ नवाज शरीफ ही दंगल को रिलीज कराने का फैसला ले सकते हैं।

पाकिस्तानी फिल्म एक्जिबिटर्स एसोसिएशन के अध्यक्ष जोरेज लशारी का कहना है कि उनका संगठन शरीफ के जवाब का इंतजार कर रहा है। उनका कहना है कि फिल्में रिलीज होने पर रोक की वजह से एसोसिएशन के सदस्य भारी घाटा झेल रहे हैं। भारतीय कलाकार और डिस्ट्रीब्यूटर्स चाहते हैं कि उनकी फिल्में पाकिस्तान में रिलीज हों। लेकिन पाकिस्तानी वितरक नई भारतीय फिल्में फिलहाल नहीं खरीदना चाहते। वे सरकार से हरी झंडी का इंतजार कर रहे हैं। हालांकि लाशारी कहते हैं कि पाकिस्तान में भारतीय फिल्मों पर कोई आधिकारिक वैन नहीं है। सरकार से इस ओर से कोई अधिसूचना जारी नहीं हुई है। लेकिन पाकिस्तानी वितरक भारतीय फिल्में नहीं दिखा रहे हैं।

पाकिस्तानी फिल्म उद्योग के सूत्रों के मुताबिक स्थानीय वितरक भारतीय वितरकों को आठ से दस करोड़ रुपये देते हैं। जो समूह फिल्म खरीदता है उसे कम से कम 20 करोड़ की कमाई की उम्मीद होती है। हालांकि उन्हें इसमें कुछ राशि सिनेमाघर मालिकों को देनी होती है।
 
भारतीय फिल्में पाकिस्तान में 43 साल के लंबे प्रतिबंध के बाद 2008 में रिलीज हुई थीं। 1965 के युद्ध के दौरान भारतीय फिल्मों पर प्रतिबंध लगा दिया गया था। यह अलग बात है कि भारतीय फिल्मों में पाकिस्तानी अभिनेताओं के अभिनय पर ‘बैन’ के लिए गला फाड़-फाड़ कर प्रतिबंध की मांग की जाती है।
 

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राज्य में ‘बेटी बचाओ-बेटी पढ़ाओ’ कार्यक्रम और कुश्ती के प्रोत्साहन को ध्यान में रखते हुये इस फिल्म को कर में छूट दी गयी है।

हरियाणा के मुख्यमंत्री मनोहर लाल खट्टर ने रोहतक के करीब गरही सांपला में एक जनसभा को संबोधित करते हुये फिल्म को कर मुक्त किये जाने की घोषणा की।

उन्होंने कहा कि राज्य सरकार हरियाणवी फिल्म को प्रोत्साहित करने के लिए भी काम कर रही है और इसके संबंध में राज्य के सिनेमा ऑपरेटरों की एक बैठक भी की गयी है।

मुख्यमंत्री ने कहा कि सरकार हरियाणवी एवं अन्य फिल्मों के प्रोत्साहन के लिए जल्द ही फिल्म नीति पेश करेगी।

उल्लेखनीय है कि फिल्म दंगल पहलवान महावीर सिंह फोगाट के जीवन पर आधारित है। फिल्म का निर्देशन नितेश तिवारी ने किया है। उत्तर प्रदेश सरकार पहले ही इस फिल्म को कर छूट दे चुकी है।
रायपुर, 25 दिसंबर :भाषा: छत्तीसगढ़ सरकार ने आमिर खान की फिल्म दंगल को राज्य में मनोरंजन कर से छूट देने का फैसला किया है।

आधिकारिक सूत्रों ने आज यहां बताया कि मुख्यमंत्री रमन सिंह ने हिन्दी फीचर फिल्म दंगल को राज्य में मनोरंजन शुल्क से छह महीने के लिए छूट देने की घोषणा की है। उनके निर्देश पर वाणिज्यिक-कर (आबकारी) विभाग ने यहां मंत्रालय से अधिसूचना जारी कर दी है।

आबकारी विभाग के अधिकारियों ने बताया कि अधिसूचना के अनुसार इस फीचर फिल्म को राज्य के सिनेमा घरों में प्रदर्शन पर छ}ाीसगढ़ मनोरंजन शुल्क तथा विज्ञापन-कर अधिनियम 1936 के प्रावधानों के तहत छह महीने के लिए छूट दी गई है।

The post ‘दंगल’ हरियाणा में कर मुक्त, दंगल को छत्तीसगढ़ में मनोरंजन कर से मिली छूट appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Double standards? No, no. A Karachi dateline report of the  PTI states that  local distributors of the latest Aamir Khan-starrer "Dangal" in Pakistan are pinning their hopes on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to give his formal approval to its release in the country and are expecting the film to be screened soon.

Despite all the noise and angst about the release of Karan Johar's film, " Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" s starring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in India barely two months ago (October 2016), looks like Indian star of the silver screen, Aamir Khan's Dangal will not to suffer a quid pro quo fate. And Pakistan will quietly allow its release and distribution in Pakistan soon! After the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (Raj Thackeray' s threats and intimidation, Telangana BJP MLA Raja Singh had vociferously opposed the screening of Johar's film leading to high level 'consultations' before Johart appealed for its release.

According to Pakistani media reports, the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage in association with the Ministry of Commerce, has sent an official summary to Sharif seeking his permission to release the film in Pakistan. Pakistan is considered as the third largest market for Indian films.The local distributors have rubbished  reports in Indian media as "false" that the film would not be released in the country, saying its screening may get delayed by a week.

"That is false news. Yes there are hurdles that we are facing in releasing the film in Pakistan but we haven't lost hope yet. The film might get delayed by a week or so but no final decision has been taken as yet," Mohammad Nasir of Geo films said.

Pakistani cinema owners are pinning their hopes on the release of "Dangal" and other Indian films to be released in January to make up for the losses they suffered during a three-month voluntarily ban on screening of Indian films in Pakistan. The ban was lifted last week in a low-key fashion, but the release of "Dangal" still remains uncertain.

According to officials, local distributor Geo films are in direct correspondence with Aamir, who also happens to be the producer of the film, to make its release possible.

A ministry source said that now only the Prime Minister can move things forward.

Zoraiz Lashari, chairman of the of the Film Exhibitors Association of Pakistan, has said that they too are awaiting the Prime Minister's response.

"We have been suffering grave financial issues due to the suspension. Indian artistes and distributors want their films to be screened in Pakistan but the local distributors are hesitant to purchase new films before the government gives it a green light," he said.

"I want to make it clear that there is no ban on Indian films in Pakistan as no official notification was issued by the government," he stated.

According to industry sources, local distributors pay around rupees 80 to 100 million to Indian distributors and the buying group must earn around 200 million rupees as they also have to pay off some amount to the cinemas and make profit.

Indian movies returned to Pakistani cinema houses in 2008 after a 43-year-long hiatus imposed during the 1965 war. But is the hysterical 'ban' on Pakistani actors in Indian films another matter?

Double standards–no no!

The post ‘Dangal’ may release in Pak soon: Local Distributors appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Sadhvi Prachi a mendicant from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) fold, nominated by the BJP to a reserved seat, who fought elections (and lost) from the Purkazi (SC seat) in the 2012 Uttar Pradesh state elections has done it again. Notorious now for a string of remarks that would, if law enforcement were to be fair and un-biased, attract sections 153a, 153b, 505 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 295 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) she has. late yesterday excelled herself. Will she escape the long hands of the law once again?

On January 6, 2016 the web portal www.upuklive.com reported a statement made by her that makes her earlier brazen accounts at hate speech (for which she has just not been prosecuted) pale into insignificance. Dateline Lucknow and the news report in Hindi says that “all Muslim officers in the Indian Army should be investigated.” [1] This is after the Pathankot terror attack.

Through all of 2015, she has made a spate of hate-filled remarks while representing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Originally from the Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP), she has just once drawn “censure” from the organisation she now represents, the BJP, in February 2015 when she made a comment felt to be derisive of Muslims. The BJP president of the state, Laxmikant Bajpayi was reported as having stated that the comment was “uncalled for”.[2]  He had elaborated stating that “Sadhvi Prachi Prachi cannot behave like a Vishwa Hindu Parishad worker while being in the Bharatiya Janata Party. “The BJP does not support such statements. It would be better that Sadhvi Prachi realises that she cannot give a statement on the lines of VHP while being a BJP leader.” Prachi had however remained adamant and defiant.

That the official rap given at the UP-level was not echoed nationally is a matter of record. Since February 2015, Prachi’s hate machinations have gone further, reported extensively by the media. Yet the national leadership of the BJP is silent as the BJP-RSS-VHP combine reap in the ‘obvious’ benefits of the communal stridency. Since the mid-1980s when the Ramjanmabhoomi (read break down Babri Masjid) movement mushroomed and grew, the VHP-RSS public movements have preceded the BJP(‘s), step by step. In and out of the Indian Parliament and state assemblies (UP and Gujarat being the notable states), prominent office bearers of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad have, interchangeably been in official and electoral positions of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Communalism Combatonline (www.sabrangindia.in) believes it is time for an informed and consistent campaign against this kind of hate speech. When it is spouted from the mouths of representatives of the ruling party it has more serious consequences, socially, politically and legally. There appears to be a deafening paralysis in law enforcement against any action against it.

We bring you a string of the Sadhvi’s rants to establish the point behind the campaign:
Shah Rukh Khan, Indian Bollywood star earned the Sadhvi’s hate. “By talking about returning the awards, he has committed treason. He should be punished for this. Not only Shah Rukh Khan but all those who have returned awards should be tried for treason. (November 2015)[3] She was obviously on a hate-filled high through the past year: In October 2015, she declared that the “Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) are the dens for the SIMI and Pakistan (agents)” (sic). [4]

Since the mid-1980s when the Ramjanmabhoomi (read break down Babri Masjid) movement mushroomed and grew, the VHP-RSS public movements have preceded the BJP(‘s), step by step. In and out of the Indian Parliament and state assemblies (UP and Gujarat being the notable states), prominent office bearers of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad have, interchangeably been in official and electoral positions of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

When the country was jolted after the lynching, to death of Mohammad Akhlaq at Dadri, Uttar Pradesh barely 45 kilometres from the capital, New Delhi, this is what Sadhvi Prachi a BJP leader had to say, “Those who consume beef deserve such actions against them (Dadri lynching, Statement reported on October 4, 2015)[5]

She earned the ire of Indian Parliamentarians in August 2015 when she spouted, “Sadhvi Prachi courts controversy yet again, says there are terrorists in Parliament.” (reported on August 6, 2015).[6] The complaint by Parliamentarians was referred by Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, Hamid Ansari to the Privileges Panel. But what of hate speech against Indian citizens?

In July 2015, she was at it again. “Why are Hindu devotees always under threat during pilgrimages, be it in Amarnath, Vaishno Devi or Puri’s Jagannath Temple? If such attacks happen, I tell you, the Haj yatris will face consequences,” she yelped. (Reported on July 3, 2015)[7]

 It is possible that in the long summer months of 2015 that also coincided with the first anniversary of the Modi government in power, there are few reported mis-utterances. Or it is possible that this is the season for the Sadhvi’s meditation.
Unwind back to April 2015 and she is spewing the special brand of Sadhvi poison again:

• VHP leader links Nepal earthquake to ‘beef eating’ (April 27 2015)[8]
• Why do they always find a Hindu girl for themselves? We must boycott the Khans. (March 2, 2015)[9]
• Chant Vande Mataram or leave India, says VHP leader Sadhvi Prachi (March 18, 2015)[10]

 
Then she joined in with calling Mahatma Gandhi a British agent[11] In December 2013, three months after the communal carnage in four districts of western Uttar Pradesh (Shamli, Baghpat, Meerut and Muzaffarnagar) Sadhvi Prachi was arrested for making inflammatory speeches. She was then released on bail.[12]

In her affidavit filed before the Election Commission she has proffered an elaborate list of educational qualifications. She states on oath that she graduated from high school, Uttar Pradesh board in 1989, passed the Intermediate, UP Board examinations, 1992; then obtained another qualification from an institute VH Charan Singh Institute Meerut, 1995 and a Sanskrit degree from the same institute (no year mentioned). She states that she is a post graduate with an MA which she obtained in 2002 from Gurukul Kangri, Hardwar. (Horror of horrors), she also holds a Bachelors of Education degree which she obtained in year 2000 from the Sampoornanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya, Varanasi. She is also a Doctorate (Phd) which she obtained in 2004 from the same institute, Gurukul Kangri, Hardwar.
( http://muzaffarnagar.nic.in/affidavit_GE2012/affidevit/AC013/02_PRACHIARYAA_CR.PDF)

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