Shah Rukh Khan’s fans want senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya to leave India after the politico targetted the Bollywood superstar and compared him to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim
Shah Rukh fans flay BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya for comparing SRK to Dawood
BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya
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BJP General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya is no stranger to controversy and has time and again spewed venom on social media and in public. He has a penchant for stoking rows with his controversial and insensitive comments and he's at it again.
After attacking Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan during the release of his film 'Dangal, Tuesday saw the former MP minister slam another star. This time his target was Shah Rukh Khan. The JP leader even compared SRK to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.
The BJP leader's reaction came after the death of a person at the Vadodara railway station during the promotional tour of the actor's movie "Raees".
Shah Rukh Khan in 'Raees' and Hrithik Roshan and Yami Gautam in 'Kaabil'
A social activist, Farid Khan Pathan of Hatikhana area of Vadodara, died, and two others were injured as the crowd went berserk to catch a glimpse of Shah Rukh Khan at the Vadodara railway station. The actor was en route from Mumbai to Delhi on board the August Kranti Rajdhani Express promoting his film 'Raees'.
A medical staffer tries to resuscitate Farheed Khan Pathan
Commenting on the incident, Vijayvargiya on Tuesday told reporters: "If Dawood Ibrahim comes on street, there would be a crowd to see him ... You can't gauge the popularity on the basis of crowd. I will not comment further... People have understood what it means."
Vijayvargiya also gave the incident a political twist when on Tuesday, he tweeted an image reading: "If one is 'kaabil', even a 'chaiwalah' can become a Prime Minister. Otherwise even a 'raees' born with a silver spoon wears torn clothes."
à¤u00c2u009cà¥u00c2u008b #Raees दà¥u00c2u0087श à¤u00c2u0095ा नहà¥u00c2u0080à¤u00c2u0082, वà¥u00c2u008b à¤u00c2u0095िसà¥u00c2u0080 à¤u00c2u0095ाम à¤u00c2u0095ा नहà¥u00c2u0080à¤u00c2u0082।
— Kailash Vijayvargiya (@KailashOnline) January 21, 2017
à¤u00c2u0094र à¤u00c2u008fà¤u00c2u0095 #Kaabil दà¥u00c2u0087शà¤à¤u00c2u0095à¥u00c2u008dत à¤u00c2u0095ा साथ, तà¥u00c2u008b हम सà¤à¥u00c2u0080 à¤u00c2u0095à¥u00c2u008b दà¥u00c2u0087ना हà¥u00c2u0080 à¤u00c2u009aाहिà¤u00c2u008f। pic.twitter.com/S5ufpuQTPJ
On January 21, Vijayvargiya had tweeted: "Now it's the turn of the country's 'kaabil' citizens. No 'Raees' can take away merit from the 'kaabil'."
"The Raees that couldn't be of its own country is of no good, and we should all support a 'kaabil' patriot."
He also decided to take the opportunity to take a dig at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. He tweeted that "And 'Kaabil' (worthy) Indians are always better than 'Raees' (rich) people from abroad."
à¤u00c2u0094र हमारà¥u00c2u0087 à¤à¤¾à¤°à¤¤ à¤u00c2u0095à¥u00c2u0087 #Kaabil, à¤u00c2u0095िसà¥u00c2u0080 à¤à¥u00c2u0080 परदà¥u00c2u0087स à¤u00c2u0095à¥u00c2u0087 #Raees सà¥u00c2u0087, हर हाल मà¥u00c2u0087à¤u00c2u0082 बà¥u00c2u0087हतर हà¥u00c2u0088à¤u00c2u0082।#IndiaFirst ðu00c2u009fu00c2u0087®ðu00c2u009fu00c2u0087³ pic.twitter.com/k69hfOeoLA
— Kailash Vijayvargiya (@KailashOnline) January 24, 2017
Attempting to play down the controversy surrounding Vijayvargiya’s tweet, BJP spokesperson Shaina NC clarified that it did not mention either Shah Rukh Khan or Hrithik Roshan. She tweeted, “No where is there a mention of @iamsrk or @iHrithik the reference to context is clearly to #NoteBandi so let’s not create a controversy.” The tweet was for some reason deleted later on.
Hindu right wing activists have in the past targeted the Khans -- Shah Rukh, Salman and Aamir Khan. Vijayvargiya has himself targetted Aamir’s recent blockbuster 'Dangal'. Vijayvargiya had asked his supporters to boycott the movie, because of Aamir's comments about growing religious intolerance in India.
“When anybody says that intolerance is rising in our society, then it makes me a little angry. Then he has to be treated. His treatment is very necessary. One (Shah Rukh Khan) has been treated while other (Aamir) still needs treatment,” Vijayvargiya had said at the time.
Directed by Rahul Dholakia, 'Raees' was at the centre of a controversy for casting Pakistan actor Mahira Khan. Mahira plays the 51-year-old actor's love interest in the film, which also stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui as a police officer.
Post Karan Johars 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil', the SRK-starrer will be the second big film to be released after Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) called for a ban on Pakistani artistes in wake of Uri attacks.
Both "Raees" and "Kaabil" are set to release on January 25. Shah Rukh had also met the MNS chief to avoid any pre-release trouble due to Mahira's presence in the movie.
"There is a new tradition of promoting films. The promoters should at least take care of public convenience. If they promote films in railways, the common people will suffer. Even if Dawood appears in public, crowd will come out. So we cannot gauge the popularity (of people), at least, on the basis of crowd," Vijayvargiya, also a Madhya Pradesh Minister, said.
He said public convenience should be kept in mind and films should be promoted without causing trouble to people.
When asked about his earlier tweet supporting 'Kaabil', which stars Hritik Roshan, Vijayvargiya said, "Those for whom the message was meant have understood".
The BJP leader’s tweet evoked a sharp response from Twitterati with some accusing him of giving it a communal hue and others wanting him to leave India.
Here are some of the Twitter reactions:
Pumpkin of the day: @KailashOnline who seems to revel in saying things that get him his 15 minutes of fame! With his party silent!!
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) January 24, 2017
Last time @KailashOnline targeted DANGAL & it became India's biggest hit Na"Kaabil" neta targeting @iamsrk now..SRK will become more #Raees
— Shehzad Poonawalla (@Shehzad_Ind) January 24, 2017
BJP has started subtle movie promotions as a side business. I DO DECLARE: YOU ARE ANTI-NATIONAL IF YOU WATCH #RAEES. @KailashOnline xoxo. pic.twitter.com/kxheYKLfTm
— NarIndira Modi (@NarIndiraModi) January 24, 2017
' Ye politics Badi Filmy hai' @narendramodi @iamsrk @iHrithik #KailashVijayvargiya @OfficeOfRG @ArvindKejriwal pic.twitter.com/mJMR2ZxxBt
— arvind ojha (@arvindojha) January 24, 2017
@iamsrk has done more for the country than you ever will. Stop targeting him for petty and cheap politics. Shame on @KailashOnline#Raees
— Subhajeet Sahu (@bobnbeyond) January 24, 2017
.@KailashOnline Shahrukh Khan comes from a family of freedom fighters. Who from your 'Parivar' did so?
— Daniel Francis (@DFranticly) January 24, 2017
One who wears suit boot of lakhs, doesn't seem #raees to @KailashOnline and who has taken indian economy back to 15yrs status seems #Kaabil https://t.co/pLKvF4aSz0
— Er.Arpit Chitkara (@arpitchitkara) January 24, 2017
What @KailashOnline is trying to suggest our fellow Indians. Why is Anti #Raees and pro #Kaabil or #NaamMeKyaRakhaHai pic.twitter.com/lgH2o4rmZ8
— Sujay Rohru (@sujayrohru) January 24, 2017
Gen Sec of the Ruling Party of 'World's largest democracy' is openly campaigning against a Bollywood Star.
— Om (@timesn0w) January 21, 2017
Why?
Coz his name is Khan. https://t.co/c7RcEefR7w
Kamal Rashid Khan (popularly known as KRK), tweeted in support of SRK:
U @KailashOnline were sleeping at ur home n father of @iamsrk was fighting for the independence of India so #KailashVijayvargiyaLeaveIndia
— KRK (@kamaalrkhan) November 4, 2015
Mr. @KailashOnline Never ever dare to mess with SRK coz #SRKians rule the world.#KailashVijayvargiyaLeaveIndia
— KRK (@kamaalrkhan) November 4, 2015
As did actor and BJP supporter Anupam Kher:
Some members of the BJP really need to control their tongue & stop talking rubbish about @iamsrk. He is a national icon & We r PROUD of him.
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) November 4, 2015