MP Minister Calls Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Javed Akhtar “Agents of Tukde Tukde Gang”
NEW DELHI, Sept 3: Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Saturday termed film personalities Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah and Javed Akhtar as agents of Tukde-Tukde gang – a pejorative term coined by the BJP and its supporters to attack its critics.
The Madhya Pradesh minister targeted the Bollywood fames because they were “only vocal” about issues in the BJP-ruled states. “People like Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah and Javed Akhtar are the agents of sleeper cell of Tukde-Tukde gang who create ruckus only on incidents that happen in BJP-ruled states,” Mishra said.
Ms Azmi has been very vocal about the Bilkis Bano case in which the convicts were freed by the Gujarat government, 15 years after they were jailed. “I have no words (for Bilkis Bano) except that I am deeply ashamed. I have no other words,” Ms Azmi had said. Mishra accused Ms Azmi of not being vocal about incidents that took place in Congress-ruled states.
“Shabana Azmi did not say anything about Kanhaiya Lal being murdered in Rajasthan or the woman who was burnt alive in Jharkhand,” Mishra said. “The Tukde-Tukde gang or the Award-Wapsi gang do not see these at all,” he added. “It exposes their bad mentality. How can anyone call them civilised or secular?” he asked.
Ms Azmi had recently joined women’s groups and students to protest against the decision to release the 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case.
(Manas Dasgupta)
