For Indian ‘liberals’ democracy is a fluid concept. What is terrorism in one situation is dissent in others. Remember when Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat was released? Buses were burnt, children in those school buses were terrorised by a mob who thought a fictionalised portrayal of their queen was an insult, which was far from the truth because the film actually glorified the Rajput women, so much that Bollywood starlets felt these women weren’t ‘feminist’ enough.
2 rupees Bollywood people were out condemning the violence, and rightly so.
Attacking a school bus is not an agitation. It is terrorism. The people who did it are terrorists. Please refer to them as such.
— Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) January 25, 2018
Well, we have a surplus of assh*les who throw rocks at bus-loads of school-kids, and even more in “government”, who are doing nothing to stop this rubbish. Ek-doh yahaan se le jaata. Uska bhi faayda, apna bhi faayda. https://t.co/H1BeVnHCkq
— VISHAL DADLANI (@VishalDadlani) January 25, 2018
Dear @narendramodi ji. Just today, in a BJP-run state, a bus full of school children were attacked by goons. This “discussion” has been on since November. Your Govts in 4 states have been unable to contain a bunch of criminals. Could you please denounce them publicly, at least? https://t.co/JiUB7r3lIT
— VISHAL DADLANI (@VishalDadlani) January 24, 2018
What radio silence are you speaking of? Unless of course you only care to hear from specific people? Artists in my fraternity have been condemning this violence and demanding legal action since the first attack made on #Padmaavat shoot location. #Viewpoint https://t.co/DLGC71BoiN
— Dia Mirza (@deespeak) January 25, 2018
Children were attacked today. Children in school buses. Arson, vandalism, crime in the name of ‘protest’. Look hard and look deep at this India. We should be ashamed. https://t.co/t4lNLkdi2v
— Dia Mirza (@deespeak) January 24, 2018
Every single disturbance to law & order citing a film that the supreme court deemed fit to release is just a sign of horrible things to come. Who are these thugs? Bring them to book or admit failure of the system. What the hell is going on? #democracy #PadmaWhatever #GundaRaj
— Siddharth (@Actor_Siddharth) January 24, 2018
Yep. From all quarters.
I welcome the SC decision on #Padmavat.but d unresolvd issue is those who put a price on @deepikapadukone head n publicly threatened to burn her alive n harm SLB are roaming free with impunity.Only ven State takes action against d criminal elements will justice be seen 2 be done
— Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) January 27, 2018
Kudos to @ArvindKejriwal for saying it like it is !!!!! Can our other SO called leaders in the govt. and opposition show some spine too??? #Padmaavat #SchoolBusAttacked https://t.co/P9l0j70Vbv
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) January 24, 2018
See Delhi Chief Minister taking a dig at Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar? Well, Delhi has seen buses being set on fire by the unruly mob but not a peep. Well, one of his own MLAs was part of a crowd that ran riots in Jamia Nagar in Delhi last weekend.
On 17th December, when rioters attacked a school bus in Delhi’s Seelampur, Kejriwal tweeted this:
मेरी सभी दिल्लीवासियो से अपील है कि शांति बनाए रखें। एक सभ्य समाज में किसी भी तरह की हिंसा बर्दाश्त नहीं की जा सकती। हिंसा से कुछ हासिल नहीं होगा। अपनी बात शांति से कहनी है।
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) December 17, 2019
Did I tell you his party members and deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was actually busy spreading the rumour that Delhi Policemen were actually setting a bus on fire instead of dousing it?
ये फ़ोटो देखिए.. देखिए कौन लगा रहा है बसों और कारों में आग.. यह फ़ोटो सबसे बड़ा सबूत है बीजेपी की घटिया राजनीति का… इसका कुछ जवाब देंगे बीजेपी के नेता .. pic.twitter.com/8HvHC8epwn
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) December 15, 2019
The rumour spread far and wide. This was vehemently denied by Delhi Police and even bystanders and witnesses who saw it happen said that the police was actually dousing the fire. But why let facts get in way of propaganda?
Read: ‘Left’ will never call out their own. Principles be damned. Women be damned. Feminism be damned
Speaking of Aam Aadmi Party, Vishal Dadlani, a very vocal AAP supporter, had actually gone on to say that the brutal Hyderabad gang-rape and murder followed by the encounter of culprits as they tried to escape police custody was to ‘distract’ people from passing of the CAB. He still thinks it is a ‘distraction’ from the economy and other issues.
Understand this. #CAA is a crap law, & against India’s Constitution, but it’s also..
..a distraction from an Economy in tatters & GDP growth of merely 4.5%, from joblessness & dying industry & onions at Rs.200 a kilo.
A failed govt. is distracting us with blood & bullets.
— VISHAL DADLANI (@VishalDadlani) December 18, 2019
Disproportionate violence has been unleashed on students in Delhi. Why? To derail the pre-election conversation from Economy, Health, Womens Safety, Water, Power & make it one of hatred/religion.
Answer this: Who controls the Delhi Police?
Many answers will appear.
— VISHAL DADLANI (@VishalDadlani) December 16, 2019
See how these ‘rioters’ (because clearly, the ones who set the buses ablaze are nothing short of hooligans) are revolutionaries?
And nothing like a couplet that invites people to take to streets to top it off.
अब भी जिसका खून न खौला,
खून नही वो पानी है.Stand peacefully against the #CAB now. Don’t let them rip India apart.
— VISHAL DADLANI (@VishalDadlani) December 16, 2019
Just because he worked in a film which spoke about revolution, doesn’t mean real life is fiction.
Ab bhi jo na khaula woh khoon nahi hai paani hai… Jo desh ke kaam na aaye woh bekaar jawaani hai.
Revolution is the life blood of democracy. Bleed for #India.#CAA #NRC #PeacefulProtest
— Siddharth (@Actor_Siddharth) December 18, 2019
Not a word on the violence that has been unleashed by the rioters. He was angry against those rioting against Padmaavat even though the “Supreme Court deemed fit to release”. But a law passed as per constitutional process in both the houses of Parliament calls for violence.
Read: The protests, condemnation, silence and support is all driven by one need : ‘Roti’
Shabana Azmi, who was expressing anger at those who wanted to harm Deepika Padukone, the actor who played the lead role in Padmaavat, is busy reciting ‘shyries’ on the violence and expressing regrets she can’t be physically present there.
In solidarity with protestors against CAA and NRC pic.twitter.com/hynuypyNsm
— Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) December 19, 2019
Oh and her step-son and entertainer Farhan Akhtar shared factually incorrect information on CAA and NRC while maintaining complete silence on the rioters attacking school bus in Delhi.
Here’s what you need to know about why these protests are important. See you on the 19th at August Kranti Maidan, Mumbai. The time to protest on social media alone is over. pic.twitter.com/lwkyMCHk2v
— Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) December 18, 2019
And less said about 2Rs actor Swara Bhasker, the better.
With the anti-CAA protests turning violent, none of the Bollywood stars who have in the past compared violence to terrorism condemned the Muslim mobs running a rampage. In fact, they have contributed not just in spreading misinformation but also justified the violence.
The hypocrisy of these Bollywoodiyas is nauseating. Their ignorance is shocking and their unwillingness to educate themselves and use their position of influence to actually educate the masses is even more saddening.
