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| Those opposed to Modi marketing intolerance, says Anupam Kher (Speech video below) |
Anupam Kher took mike and enthralled the audience at the Kolkata club during the Telegraph national debate on Saturday.
The newly Padma Bhushan-awarded Bollywood star was on the panel, along with actress Kajol and socialite Suhel Seth, to speak against the cry of intolerance. They were opposed by Justice Asok Ganguly, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala and Barkha Dutt, journalist.
Anupam Kher said he would speak in Hindi as his thoughts came in that language, but ended up using English extensively.
The upshot of his speech was that intolerance was being marketed by those, who were not able to stomach a chaiwala becoming PM.
They can't tolerate that Modi has been working without taking a single day off in last two years or that he has been spending his Diwali with soldiers in Kashmir.
They can't talk about corruption, so they have raked up intolerance.
Speak to the common man on the streets, nobody knows what intolerance is. The intellectuals, the rich, the famous, those who sit in five-star hotels sipping champagne, are the ones talking about intolerance.
Those opposing them and supporting Modis are branded as chamchas.
Anupam Kher admitted there were some people in BJP - the sadhvis and yogis - who spoke nonsense. Jail them, but don't tar the nation as intolerant.
In other noteworthy parts of his speech he made personal attacks on Justice Ganguly and Rahul Gandhi.
Speaking before Anupam Kher, Justice Ganguly had criticised Supreme Court's judgement on Afzal Guru. Anupam Kher was was astounded that a retired judge was critcising a judgment of the Supreme Court. He called it a disgrace.
He also slammed Justice Ganguly for supporting the cry of intolerance. Anupam Kher reminded him that he had also faced media intolerance in the past, a reference to the sexual harassment charge Justice Ganguly had to tackle after retiring from the Supreme Court.
The other personal attack focused on Rahul Gandhi. He chided The Telegraph for calling Smriti Irani, Aunty National, and a forty-six year old Rahul Gandhi, a youth icon. Speaking elsewhere, earlier in the day, Smriti Irani had also taunted Rahul Gandhi as a youth leader, who was close to 50.
Anupam Kher, turning sarcastic, called Congress a tolerant party - for tolerating a PM-candidate like Rahul Gandhi. He assured that the day Rahul Gandhi becomes a tenth of Modi, he would vote for him.
The most memorable moment of Anupam Kher's otherwise insipid speech came when choked on a word and said Om namah shivaya thrice to clear his windpipe.