With one stupid remark on RSS, Javed Akhtar has sealed the fate of the entire Akhtar Khandan

Javed Akhtar has once again stirred the cauldron of controversy by making tone-deaf remarks. In an interview, while condemning the Taliban, the Bollywood lyricist dragged the Hindu faith, its organisations, in particular Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal and compared it to the terrorist outfit. Now, a complaint has been filed against him by a Mumbai based Advocate named Ashutosh J. Dubey at Mankhurd Police Station.

https://twitter.com/AdvAshutoshDube/status/1301852984595234817

Last week, while talking to the Taliban’s Indian mouthpiece NDTV, Akhtar had remarked, “Just like the Taliban want an Islamic State, there are those who want a Hindu Rashtra. These people are of the same mindset — be it Muslim, Christian, Jews or Hindus.” 

He further added, “Of course, the Taliban is barbaric, and their actions are reprehensible, but those supporting the RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal are all the same,”

While giggling and giving absurd reasoning, Akhtar said, “They have no love for minorities, like Taliban. They want women to be home, like the Taliban. What is the difference between the two? They say no law is superior than their religious faith, that is what the Taliban say. How are you different from them?”

BJP threatens action

As soon as Akhtar’s contentious remarks went viral on the realms of social media platforms, BJP and Hindu netizens took offence to his statements. Senior BJP leader Ram Kadam who represents Kadam Ghatkopar West in the Maharashtra assembly said, “Before making these remarks, he should have thought that people with the same ideology are running the government now and are fulfilling raj dharma. If their ideology was Talibani, would he have been able to make these remarks? This shows how hollow his statements are.”

The BJP leader warned that he will not allow Akhtar’s movies in the country if he didn’t apologise for his statements. “We will not allow any of his films to run in this land of Ma Bharti till he apologises with folded hands to the functionaries of the Sangh who have dedicated their lives to the nation,” 

Liberals using Hindutva to counterbalance criticism of Taliban

It has been a trend in the liberal cabal of the country to counterbalance their statements of condemning the Taliban by evoking Hinduism. When the Taliban conducted a press conference, the terror outfit immediately became the beacon of modernity and democracy. However, ever since the Taliban inflicted its barbarity, the liberals of the country have been forced to flip and condemn its actions. However, to do so, Hindutva and RSS are being used as crutches. 

This is not the first time that the lyricist has found himself in hot waters for his narrow view of the world. When Olympians Yogeshwar Dutt had taken a nationalistic line in criticising Gurmehar Kaur in 2017, Akhtar had referred to Dutt as uneducated and a hardly literate athlete.

Javed Akhtar had tweeted, “If a hardly literate player or a wrestler troll a pacifist daughter of a martyr its understandable but whats wrong with some educated folks,” 

However, Dutt had hit back saying, “Ji, aapne kavita-kahani ki rachna ki to humne bhi kuch karname kr choti hi sahi Bharat ke liye vishwapatal par itihaas racha hai. (You may have authored poems and stories but even we have made history for India on the world stage).”

Akhtar’s love for barbarians

While Akhtar couldn’t express his love for the Taliban due to societal pressure, he has a soft spot for barbarians and genocide enablers. In 2018, when Congress had imposed Tipu Jayanti in the state of Karnataka, Akhtar had referred to him as a worldwide celebrity. Akhtar argued that owing to Tipu’s struggle against the British, and how he assisted the likes of Benjamin Franklin in the American War of Independence, the Jayanti celebrations were justified. 

It is imperative to note that Tipu massacred more than 700 Mandyam Iyengar families in Melukote, including women and children. They had congregated at Narasimha Swamy temple on the banks of Cauvery at Srirangaptna town to celebrate Diwali when Sultan’s army massacred them. The town, to this day, does not celebrate Diwali and mourns the death and destruction that the horrendous Tipu Sultan wrecked over the holy town.

Read More: BJP Gov should not remove Tipu Sultan from Karnataka’s history books. His real story should be retold

In Kodagu district, the Kodavas (Coorgis), a martial race, whose thousands of men and women were seized and held captive during Tipu’s occupation were subjected to torture, death and forcible conversion to Islam.

Akhtar is a staunch, closeted radical Islamist. His statements have once again exposed him and if BJP and Ram Kadam pursue the full legal course of action, Akhtar’s family could be in trouble.