Om Puri lauds naxals, calls them fighters

Veteran Bollywood actor Om Puri has called naxals "fighters not terrorists".

Pachmarhi: Veteran Bollywood actor Om Puri, who drew flak for his controversial comments against parliamentarians, landed himself in another row by calling naxals "fighters not terrorists".

The 61-year-old actor who is here to shoot for Prakash Jha`s ‘Chakravyuh’, said naxalites were fighters who did not trouble the common man. Puri said that naxalites kidnapped Sukma district collector, Alex Paul Menon, because he supported the social system against which they are fighting. "They (naxals) are not terrorists because they don`t resort to irresponsible acts of terror by planting bombs on streets. Naxals are fighters who fight for their rights. They don`t harass the common man and the poor," Puri told reporters here last evening. It is not for the first time that the actor has landed himself in trouble. He was slapped with a privilege motion after making derogatory remarks against politicians at Ramlila maidan during Anna Hazare`s campaign for Jan Lokpal in August last year only to apologise later. PTI