Politicians and actor Anupam Kher were at loggerheads on the concluding day of JlF. Riya Sharma reports
The last session of the Jaipur literature Festival stirred controversies more than any other debate. In the last debate — Is freedom of speech, absolute and unconditionalIJ — the discussion was taken to a political level by Delhi culture minister, Kapil Mishra who called the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, a faenku, and Rahul Gandi, a pappu. He did not stop and continued, “You can call Arvind Kejriwal khujli lal, khansi vala but I will call Modi, faenku and Rahul Gandhi — Pappu.”
Retaliating to this, the audience started cheering for the Prime Minister chanting, “Modi, Modi,” which was appreciated and encouraged by actor, Anupam Kher. Though Kher did not say anything but he seemed furious with Mishra’s remarks, and in full power started appreciating the crowd to cheer more for the Prime Minister.
Shrugging off reports on intolerance as selective outrage, Kher, who maintained freedom of speech comes with a sense of responsibility, clashed with Mishra.
When Madhu Trehan blamed him for taking the matter into the realm of politics, he negated the blame by saying, “I want to clear that I was not the one who started cheering, I only appreciated the crowd.”
Targeting Kejriwal, Kher said it was only in India where one could call the Prime Minister a psychopath and get away with it.
Mishra retorted there was a small group of the same people that was targeting expressions of free speech but people were free to call his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders whatever they wanted to — and did.
The AAP would not be deterred from using the names they have for Modi or Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, Mishra added.
He also maintained that the people would not let the India of 2016 be run on the lines of 1992, 1984 and 2002, referring to the years of the Babri Masjid demolition, the anti-Sikh riots and the Gujarat riots.
Other panellists included journalist Madhu Trehan, journalist and writer Salil Tripathi, Dalit activist P Sivakami and commentator Suhel Seth.
with inputs from IANS