A day after he played down Aamir Khan’s “intolerance” remarks by saying that the supreme sacrifice by Col Santosh Mahadik was more important than actor’s remarks, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday made amends and said that the extreme reactions to the actor’s statement had lent credence to the debate on the “growing intolerance” in the country.
Disapproving the protests against Aamir for his comment against the rising acts of intolerance in the country, Pawar said, “The reactions to Aamir Khan’s statement have given substance to the debate on intolerance in the country. To say that he got his wealth in India itself amounts to an intolerant attitude. He got his money from his acting and nobody donated it to him”.
Talking to mediapersons at Karad in Maharashtra, Pawar said that the suggestion made by the actor’s wife that their family should leave the country was a clear indication of the “growing intolerance” in the country. “The country is not anybody’s private property,” the NCP leader said.
Pawar had on Tuesday dismissed the public uproar over Aamir’s remarks saying that the supreme sacrifice by Col Santosh Mahadik was more important than the actor’s remarks on intolerance.
“This (the martyred officer’s sacrifice) is more serious than that,” Pawar had said, while interacting with media persons during this visit to Pogarwadi in Satara district today to meet family members of Col Mahadik.
Col Mahadik, Commanding Officer of 41 Rashtriya Rifles, was killed in a gun-battle with militants in Kupwara district of north Kashmir on November 17.
Thousands of people had turned to bid an emotional farewell to martyred son-of-the-soil Colonel Sanotsh G Mahadik, as he was cremated with military honours in home village of Pogarwadi in Satara district of west Maharashtra on Thursday last.