03 June,2017 06:05 PM IST | Mumbai | Sonil Dedhia
Nearly two weeks after actor and BJP MP Paresh Rawal raised a furore by tweeting that author-activist Arundhati Roy should be tied to an army jeep, he continues to stand by his controversial statement, despite having deleted it since
Arundhati Roy
Nearly two weeks after actor and BJP MP Paresh Rawal raised a furore by tweeting that author-activist Arundhati Roy should be tied to an army jeep, he continues to stand by his controversial statement, despite having deleted it since.
"I am not at all apologetic about that woman and I don't regret it. I wanted to invite the reaction and that's why I wrote what I wanted to. There is no point in hiding and saying things behind the back," Rawal told mid-day, defending his stance by stating that he did it for the Army.
Paresh Rawal
On May 21, Rawal had tweeted: 'Instead of tying stone pelter on the army jeep tie Arundhati Roy'. The post created a huge uproar on social media, with many accusing him of inciting violence. This tweet came on the heels of unverified reports in the Pakistani media, in which the writer was said to have made remarks against the Indian Army on a visit to Srinagar.
"You can abuse BJP or Modiji but you can't abuse the Army. It is wrong to demoralise the men who are serving the nation, and also talk against the country. I don't understand how people of our country can abuse our own army. I am a citizen first and then a member of parliament. I voiced out the opinion as a normal citizen. The interesting part is people were attacking me, but where were they when she was talking illogical things?" said Rawal.
Also read: Paresh Rawal 'forced' to delete controversial tweet on Arundhati Roy
He further adds that he was 'coerced by Twitter' to remove his tweet or else they would block the account. "In my letter, I mentioned this. They had locked my account and as soon as they opened it, the first thing I tweeted was the proof that I had against Arundhati."
Fellow actor Naseerudin Shah had, in a column, raised concerns over the rise of communal tension in the country, saying that even though he is a non-practising Muslim, he fears that someday his children might be confronted by a mob to prove their religion. Commenting on this, Rawal said, "I don't believe in things like Hindu and Muslim. It's simple - either you love your country or you don't."
