Spicezee Bureau
Mumbai: In one of the most glaring examples of murky power politics, the Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray did a volte face by backing out from his stance and stating that the Shiv Sena will not stall the release of Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘My Name Is Khan’ after the film fraternity, media and fans across the world joined hands to support Shah Rukh.
"Let Shah Rukh release the film with the blessings of the Italian woman (Sonia Gandhi) and Yuvraj (Rahul Gandhi) without any protection and let it run in any theatre anywhere
in the country. Sena will not oppose it," Sena chief Bal Thackeray said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.
"Traitors, do whatever you want to do with the blessings of Congress. Sena won't stop you. Why should the heads of Shiv Sainiks bleed and they be jailed without any reason," the editorial said.
"We banned Pakistani cricketers despite the fact that we are cricket lovers. The ban is because of Pakistan's support to terror acts in India, including 26/11 Mumbai attacks," Thackeray said.
Of late, the Shiv Sena had been demanding an apology from Shah Rukh Khan for criticizing the exclusion of Pak players from IPL3. SRK, who was in the US for the past few weeks, had rejected the demand and made it clear that he won’t do so at any cost.
Meanwhile, Sanjay Raut, spokesperson of the Shiv Sena, slammed the actor for raking up controversies from outside India and advised the actor to visit the family members of 26/11 victims before taking up the cause of Pakistani cricketers.
In his earlier attacks at Shah Rukh Khan, Raut had also said, "If India has a major threat; it is because of people like him. He is a good artist, but this is not Shah Rukh Khan speaking, but the Congress speaking through him."
Even the Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray attacked the actor by saying that the house where Shah Rukh stays is not in Pakistan, but it’s in Mumbai.
But Shah Rukh has been receiving support from all quarters. The film fraternity, political parties, artists and the fans have joined hands to support the superstar.
However, clearly upset with the continuing threats from the Shiv Sena over his remarks on Pak players’ inclusion in IPL, Shah Rukh Khan on Friday said that he just wants to be with his kids and hope that the issue gets sorted out.
First Published: Saturday, February 06, 2010, 13:11