SRK 'finest example of secularism' in India: Congress

Asserting that actor Shah Rukh Khan is the 'finest example of secularism' in India, the Congress Party on Wednesday said the country is going towards a disastrous situation because of the growing intolerance.

Congress leader P.C. Chacko advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi to listen to the sane advice and voice of the country.

"If they don't agree with the Congress we have no problem, but the non-political people coming out must be heard," he said.

The Congress leader also took a jibe at BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya and controversial Hindutva leader Sadhvi Prachi for their unwarranted criticism of Shah Rukh Khan.

"Thankfully, neither Vijayvargiya nor Sadhvi Prachi is deciding the fate of this country.

Even if this is the opinion of the Bharatiya Janata Party, it is not going to be implemented. And Mr. Khan is the finest example of secularism in India and he has reflected the opinion of the people. He said what he did not for or against any party because the people feel frustrated and feel that the social equilibrium of the country is shattered," he said.

"Every kind of intolerance we can see in the society, intolerance against food, intolerance against religion, intolerance against political party, intolerance against the descending opinion. So the country is going towards a disastrous situation," he added.

Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) dubbed the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders criticism of the Bollywood actor as 'unfortunate'.

"It is unfortunate. Each person is free in the country to express his or her view. The way the BJP leaders are asking Shah Rukh Khan to go Pakistan is very wrong according to me. Maybe they don't know the past of Shahrukh Khan's family," said NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik.

"Shah Rukh Khan's family led the Azad Hind Fauj and fought for the country's independence. Advising such a family to go to Pakistan is not right at all. They need to understand that in 1947 the Muslims of this country identified Gandhi as their leader and not Jinnah and that is why they are here and will stay here," he added.

Shah Rukh 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.