Country coming together against CAA more important than film's collection: Sonakshi Sinha
Mumbai, Dec 23: Actor Sonakshi Sinha says though she is happy with the commercial success of her latest Bollywood film "Dabangg 3", people coming out and protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act was more important to her.
"Dabangg 3", which released last Friday, garnered mixed reviews from the critics and audience, but the Salman Khan-starrer managed to earn Rs 80 crore at the box office, according to reports.
"I think people know what is more important and I am honestly happy about that," Sonakshi said when asked about the film's release amid ongoing protests against the controversial citizenship law.
"The entire country has come together and protested against it (CAA). It is definitely more important than a film," she said at an event on Saturday evening.
The actor underlined that no one can take away the right to protest. "I am very proud about the people who have come out and voiced their opinion. I am with people," she said.
Asked why A-list stars don't express their views on the contentious Act, Sonakshi believes reacting to an issue is a matter of personal choice.
According to her, the entire focus shifts on the celebrities when they become part of the protests.
"If people understand that they (celebrities) have come as part of the crowd, then definitely people would have come, but this doesn't happen. And it becomes inconvenient for those who are present there, so maybe that's why not many (celebrities) come.
"If it was made to be like they are also part of the crowd, then I would also love to be there," Sonakshi added.
Several Bollywood celebrities had voiced their disappointment over the amended Citizenship Act.
Last week, Sonakshi was among the many names from the fraternity who took to social media to react on the police crackdown on the students of Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University who were protesting against the Act.
"This is what we were, what we are and what we MUST remain! #neverforget," she had written on Twitter alongside a picture of the Preamble of the Constitution.
Protests broke out across the country after the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was cleared by Parliament and signed by President Ram Nath Kovind into an Act.
According to the Act, people from Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come to India till December 31, 2014, from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan due to religious persecution there will be given Indian citizenship.
The protesters claim that the legislation was "unconstitutional and divisive" as it excludes Muslims.
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NDA's win in Bihar Assembly bypolls a matter of concern: Prashant Kishor
Patna, Nov 23: Political strategist turned activist Prashant Kishor on Saturday dubbed as "a matter of concern" the NDA's win in assembly by-polls in Bihar despite "failure" of the BJP-led coalition to end the state's chronic backwardness during it's decades-long rule.
Talking to reporters here shortly after the results were out, Kishor also drew succour from the fact that his fledgling Jan Suraaj won "10 per cent" of the total votes polled in four seats, but rubbished the claim that it had played a role in the RJD's defeat in three of these.
"RJD is a 30-year-old party. The son of its state president finished third. Can Jan Suraaj be faulted for that? In Belaganj all Muslim votes went to the JD(U) candidate. In Imamganj, the Jan Suraaj cut into NDA votes. Else, the victory margin of (Union minister) Jitan Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha would have been bigger", asserted Kishor.
Notably, Imamganj, a reserved seat, was retained by Manjhi's daughter-in-law Deepa, who defeated the RJD candidate by a thin margin of less than 6,000 votes. Jan Suraaj candidate Jitendra Paswan finished third, polling more than 37,000 votes.
When pointed out that in three of the four seats, candidates of Jan Suraaj had polled less than one-sixth of the total votes and ran the risk of losing their deposits, Kishor shot back "That should not be a matter of concern (chinta ki baat). If there is a matter of concern, it is the ability of the NDA to make a clean sweep despite having ruled Bihar for so long and "failed" to end the state's backwardness".
The IPAC founder, who had a brief stint in the JD(U), insisted that the party's supremo Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar, was a "spent force" and its candidate, former MLC Manorama Devi, had won on her own steam.
"We have always said that our fight is with NDA, not with RJD despite its claim of being the largest party in Bihar.....(but) Nitish Kumar is no factor. His party polled just about 11 per cent of total votes", said Kishor.
About his own party's inability to make a mark, Kishor said "We have secured 10 per cent votes..... in seats where Jan Suraaj had no presence since these areas were yet to be covered by my padyatra. Also, please note that we got our poll symbol after filing of nomination papers was over".
He also maintained that the Jan Suraaj will go solo in the assembly polls due next year when it will contest "all 243 seats".
"We were initially written off but by garnering about 10 per cent votes, in a state known to vote along predictable caste lines, we have proved a point. In the next few months we shall be strengthening the organization to ensure that vote share of the Jan Suraaj improves", he said.
