UP Navnirman Sena Chief Books Naseeruddin Shah Flight Tickets to Pakistan, Calls Him Traitor

After Naseeruddin Shah's comments about feeling scared for his children in India wet viral, the President of Uttar Pradesh's Nav Nirman Sena has bought the veteran actor a ticket to Pakistan dated for the August 14, the Pakistani Independence Day.

Amit Jani booked Shah a connecting flight ticket from Mumbai to Colombo to Karachi for the 14th of August, Times of India reported.

Jani's actions came in light of Shah's now viral interview with an anti-hate crimes collective called Karwan-e-Mohabbat India which aims to highlight instances of lynching and communal crime in the country. Speaking in the backdrop of the recent Bulandshahr violence, Shah said that he was scared for his children in India now as they did not have a religion.

The actor was widely trolled for his comments and Jani went as far as to call him a 'traitor'. The former also said that if Shah feels so unsafe in India, he should go live in Pakistan.

Jani also added that in case Shah did not want to shift bases, he should start reading the 'hanuman chalisa' now. The dig comes after a BJP MLC Bukkal Nawab recently claimed that Hanuman was Muslim.

Shah has reacted to the vitriol, and asked why he was being called a traitor for asking questions about the country he lives in.

Naseeruddin Shah: What I said earlier was as a worried Indian. What did I say this time that I am being termed as a traitor? I am expressing concerns about the country I love, the country that is my home. How is that a crime? pic.twitter.com/XcQOwmzJSh

— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2018

Meanwhile, social media has been ablaze with debate about Shah's comments.

#NaseeruddinShah proving why he is not just a brilliant actor, but a brilliant and courageous human being. 👏👏👏 https://t.co/EVP5msqpGT — Prerna Bakshi (@bprerna) December 20, 2018

So we should defend abhijit Iyer Mitra right to call women bimbos and journalists to be jailed and lefty "scum" to be targeted with machine guns because that's free speech eh, but #NaseeruddinShah must not speak about communal poison and marginalised minorities. Makes sense. https://t.co/t9IcRFXybx

— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) December 21, 2018

So, so tragic. India’s finest actor has to say this today. #NaseeruddinShah #BulandshahrViolence When a policeman can be killed with impunity and no one is arrested for the crime, you know that everything around you is collapsing. There is no justice. https://t.co/iMZCJHDdjM — Pritish Nandy (@PritishNandy) December 21, 2018

Not important if #NaseeruddinShah is right or wrong. More important - much, much more important - for people of his fame and reach to douse, not fan sparks. Unfortunate comment from one of the world's finest actors. @republic #IntoleranceDebate

— Chitra Subramaniam (@chitraSD) December 20, 2018