Over 150 citizens from various walks of life have backed writer-lyricist-poet Javed Akhtar and actor Naseeruddin Shah on their statements about the Taliban. A section of activists had attacked Javed for recently comparing the Taliban with the Sangh Pariwar outfits in India, in a TV interview. After that interview, BJP MLA Ram Kadam demanded an apology from Akhtar and threatened to boycott films of his family members. Naseeruddin Shah had recently addressed the Indian Muslim community and warned Muslim compatriots against rigid forms of Islam, advising espousal of modernity. This was also objected to.
The citizens who have openly come out in support of the two celebrities, have condemned “the outright hounding of intellectuals, poets and actors, both Javed Akhtar and Naseeruddin Shah”. “We, the undersigned, support unequivocally the recent interview given by author and poet Javed Akhtar to the media in the context of the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan. We strongly condemn attempts to intimidate him and affirm his right to speak his views. We strongly disagree with those in the Sangh Pariwar, led by a BJP MLA, and other elements from the same wider Pariwar, who have objected to the understanding of right-wing supremacists, be it of the Muslim or Hindu kind,” the statement said.