Javed Akhtar schools social media user who called him 'son of gaddar'
New Delhi: Veteran screenwriter and lyricist Javed Akhtar hit out at a social media user who branded him "son of gaddar (traitor)", and said his family has been part of the Indian freedom movement since the Revolt of 1857. Mr Akhtar's retort came in response to the social media user's swipe at him over a post in which he commented on US President Joe Biden's chances of being re-elected.
"I am a proud Indian citizen and till my last breath I will remain so but I have one common fact with Joe Biden. Both of us have exactly equal chance of becoming the next president of USA (sic)" Mr Akhtar wrote on X.
The social media user had commented on the industry veteran's post and called him "a son of Gaddar who divided our nation" on religious lines.
Mr Akhtar, known for his vocal views on a range of topics, clapped back at the user on Saturday and replied: "It is difficult to decide whether you are totally ignorant or a complete idiot."
"From 1857 my family has been involved with freedom movement n has gone to jails and Kala paani when most probably your baap dadas were licking the boots of Angrez sarkar (sic)."
The 79-year-old writer is the son of lyricist-poet Jan Nisar Akhtar, who was an active part of the Progressive Writers' Movement in pre-Partition British India, and writer Safiya Siraj-ul Haq.
His great great grandfather Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi was a freedom fighter who participated in the 1857 rebellion against the rule of the British East India Company. Khairabadi was sentenced to life in prison in the Cellular Jail, also known as Kala Paani, on the Andaman Islands where he also died in 1864.
On the same X thread, Mr Akhtar further wrote that former US first lady Michelle Obama can "save USA" from ex-president Donald Trump, Biden's Republican opponent in the upcoming elections.
"I have expressed my opinion quite a few times in the past and still stand by it that the only one who can save USA from Trump is Michelle Obama (sic)." he said.
I am a proud Indian citizen and till my last breath I will remain so but I have one common fact with Joe Biden . Both of us have exactly equal chance of becoming the next president of USA .
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) July 6, 2024
It is difficult to decide whether you are totally ignorant or a complete idiot . From 1857 my family has been involved with freedom movement n has gone to jails and Kala paani when most probably your baap dadas were licking the boots of Angrez sarkar
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) July 6, 2024
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Rickelton's ton in vain as SRH beat MI by 6 wickets
Mumbai (PTI): Ryan Rickelton's whirlwind unbeaten ton was overshadowed by Heinrich Klaasen's unbeaten 65 as Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Mumbai Indians by six wickets in an IPL match here on Wednesday.
Chasing an imposing 244-run target, Travis Head (76 off 30) and Abhishek Sharma (45 off 24) shared 129 runs for the opening wicket to set the platform for SRH.
Klaasen (65 not out off 30 balls) then displayed his all-round hitting abilities to guide SRH home with the help of Nitish Kumar Reddy (21) and Salil Arora (30 not out off 10) in 18.4 overs.
Earlier, Rickelton's knock powered MI to 243 for five.
MI rode on a 93-run stand between Rickelton (123 not out off 55 balls) and Will Jacks (46 off 22) in 7.1 overs for the opening stand to power the side.
MI skipper Hardik Pandya scored a valuable 31 off 15 balls before being dismissed.
Praful Hinge (2/54), Eshan Malinga (1/29), Sakib Hasan (1/39) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (1/31) were the wicket-takers for SRH.
Brief Scores:
Mumbai Indian: 243 for 5 in 20 overs (Ryan Rickelton 123 not out; Praful Hinge 2/54).
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 249 for 4 in 18.4 overs (Travis Head 76, Heinrich Klaasen 65 not out; AM Ghazanfar 2/51).
