Boycott Salman's films: Raj Thackeray

Thackeray targetted Bollywood producers and questioned them on why they need to rope in Pakistani actors in their films.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday issued a diktat to boycott Bollywood star Salman Khan’s films. The trigger was Salman’s statement that Pakistani artistes are not terrorists. “They (Pakistani actors) are artistes, not terrorists. It’s the government who gives them permits and visas,” Salman had said on Friday, after an increasing chorus to ban Pakistani actors, especially after India carried out surgical strikes across the line of control.

Raj also asked Salman not to advise the Indian army jawans who are stationed at the borders. “If  they withdraw from the scene, will Salman go to the borders?” he queried.

A visibly agitated Raj told reporters that Salman should go to Pakistan to shoot his films if he has so much love for the Pakistani artistes. He went on to add that Pakistani artistes may not be terrorists but they may be informants.

Raj’s statement comes at a time when the party’s film wing, the Maharashtra Navnirman Chitrapat Karmachari Sena, has already declared that it will stall the release of every film that has Pakistani actors in it. After the recent Uri attack, in which 19 Indian soldiers were killed, the Maharashtra Navnirman Chitrapat Karmachari Sena had given 48 hours to all the Pakistani actors to leave India. Almost all actors flew back to Pakistan.  Further, Raj questioned the Bollywood producers why they need to rope in Pakistani actors in their films and held the producers responsible.

He also referred to the ban imposed by Pakistan on the shows of ''Dhoni An Untold Story'' film featuring India's ace batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni.