Naseeruddin Shahs Ajmer event cancelled over protests against his mob violence remarks

22 Dec 2018

Naseeruddin Shah , who voiced his opinion against the rising mob violence in India, has sparked a huge controversy. The actor has been receiving backlash online and from politicians as well. Some have even called him a traitor. Meanwhile, the actor was supposed to be at the Ajmer Literature Festival on Friday but it was cancelled due to the protests from right-wing organizations. Naseeruddin Shah arrived in Ajmer to deliver the keynote address at the fifth edition of Ajmer Literature Festival at 2:30 pm on Friday. However, the members of right-wing organizations, protested against the actor and demanded him to apologize for his statements. They burnt the posters of the festival which had Naseeruddin Shahs photo. Ras Bihari Gaur, organiser of the event, said that they alerted the cops after the protests began in the morning. But, the protestors had entered the venue of the festival before the scheduled inaugural to disrupt it. So, they were forced to call the veteran actor and requested him to not come to venue. The veteran actor received huge backlash after he spoke openly about the rising mob violence in the country and how people would be more worried about a cow than a person. This was apparently in reference to the recent incident in Uttar Pradeshs Bulandshahr where a cows death was of more importance than the killing of a policeman. I feel anxious for my children because tomorrow if a mob surrounds them and asks, Are you a Hindu or a Muslim? they will have no answer. It worries me that I dont see the situation improving anytime soon, he said. Also Read : What did I say this time that I am being termed as a traitor?- Naseeruddin Shah