MUMBAI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday staged a protest against noted lyricist Javed Akhtar outside his residence in Mumbai, alleging that he compared Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) with the Taliban.
The protest came a day after the poet-lyricist, during an interaction with a TV channel, drew a parallel between the Taliban and “those who want a Hindu Rashtra”.
“Javed Akhtar should come forward to apologise for his statement, otherwise, we will continue to protest against him and file an FIR for his humiliating remarks,” BJP leader Ram Kadam was quoted as saying by ANI. He also said that the BJP will not allow his films to screen across the country if Akhtar does not apologise to the RSS and VHP for his remarks.
“His statement by Javed Akhtar is not just shameful, but painful and humiliating for crores of functionaries of the Sangh and the Vishva Hindu Parishad and crores of people across the world who follow their ideology,” Kadam said in a video message that he also shared on Twitter.
He added that functionaries of these organisations serve the poorest of the poor and the poet-lyricist has insulted them.