Swaraj Kaushal calls out Naseeruddin Shah on Twitter; gets criticized
The ongoing debate over Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR) has left the whole nation divided. Recently, two of the country's most admired veteran actors got embroiled in an altercation over their contrasting viewpoints regarding these matters. And, now former Mizoram Governor Swaraj Kaushal has pierced into the debate, only to get slammed for it.
What is the Naseeruddin Shah-Anupam Kher controversy all about?
Senior actor Naseeruddin Shah sparked a row after his video interview with The Wire. In the interview, he talked about a wide range of subjects including the debate over CAA-NRC-NPR. He also referred to his contemporary and fellow actor Anupam Kher as a "clown". "Someone like Anupam Kher has been very vocal. I don't think he needs to be taken seriously," Naseeruddin said.
Sycophancy is in Kher's blood, he can't help it: Naseeruddin
Naseeruddin went on to add, "He is a clown. Any number of his contemporaries from NSD [National School of Drama, Delhi] and FTII [Film and Television Institute of India, Pune] can attest to his sycophantic nature. It's in his blood, he can't help it."
You've lived your entire life in frustration: Kher's sharp reaction
Thereafter, Kher posted a short video on Wednesday, wherein he can be heard saying, "Naseeruddin sa'ab [sir], I do not take you or your words seriously." "However, I'd like to say that...you've lived your entire life in frustration. You cannot differentiate between the right and the wrong because of things you have been consuming for years (hinting at substance abuse)."
You can watch Kher's reaction video here
Now, Swaraj Kaushal has pierced into the debate
Now, the latest addition into the ongoing spat between the veterans is late Union Minister Sushma Swaraj's husband Swaraj Kaushal. Swaraj has come out in support of Kher, who has been quite vocal about his support to the central government. In a series of tweets, Swaraj called out Naseeruddin's comments, hailed Kher and his wife and BJP MP Kirron Kher.
Kher is an honest, upright and self-made man, Swaraj said
In his tweets, Swaraj referred to Kher as "an honest, upright and a self-made man." Referring to the exodus of Hindus from Kashmir during during 1989-90, Swaraj said, "Is he (Kher) not entitled to weep out his pain? What is it that you have and Anupam Kher does not have? You think you are a better actor than Anupam Kher? You are sadly mistaken."
You are an ungrateful, disillusioned man: Swaraj to Naseeruddin
Further, Swaraj lashed out at Naseeruddin, calling him "an ungrateful man." "This country gave you all the name, fame and money. Yet you are a disillusioned man. You married [actress Ratna Pathak Shah] outside your religion. No one ever said a word. You are being thankless to the country that gave you everything," he wrote.
You can read Swaraj's tweets here
Twitter users criticized Swaraj for his comments
However, Swaraj's comments did not go down well with a section of Twitter users, with some criticizing him for his remarks that they say reek of "bigotry". We hope that the sanity prevails in the country!
