SRK, Big B accepted as stars because of tolerance: Shiv Sena

Rubbishing Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan's assertions over the 'growing intolerance', the Shiv Sena on Wednesday said that the former and megastar Amitabh Bachchan have been accepted as superstars because of tolerance in the country.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that there was no need for Shah Rukh Khan to have interfered into this controversy.

"He should not interfere in this matter. Those who are talking about intolerance in this country are wrong," Raut told ANI.

"We have been so tolerant that we had made Dilip Kumar a superstar. We had also recognised Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan our superstars. Doesn't it show our tolerance level?

We accept everyone irrespective of religion," he added.

Raut insisted that if people like Shah Rukh Khan continue giving these kinds of statements then it would bring an insult to the nation in front of the world.

King Khan had joined the debate swirling around 'intolerance' on his 50th birthday, when he told a leading news channel that there was 'nothing worse than religious intolerance and that it would take India to the Dark Ages'.

"Our religion cannot be defined or showed respect to by our meat-eating habits. How banal and silly is that," he said, supporting the views of writers, filmmakers and others who have returned their awards in protest against the rising intolerance.