Mumbai, Jul 21: Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah Sunday expressed solidarity with the family members of those killed in incidents of mob lynching in the country.

Speaking at a national convention on the theme of 'state complicity in hate crimes' in Dadar here, Shah said the victims and kin of mob lynchings have suffered a lot.

The event was organised by Democratic Youth Federation of India.

"I feel proud to be with them (kin of victims) in this programme and salute their courage. They have faced a lot more than us in their life. We have faced not even two per cent of their sufferings," he said.

The actor said he had often been often criticised for his remarks.

"Some called me a traitor, some asked me to go to Pakistan. But these taunts were nothing in comparison with the pain of those people who suffered mob attacks," he said, adding that "My admiration, sympathy and company will always be with these people".

In the past, Shah had been criticised sharply over his comments on rising incidents of mob violence in the country.

He had said that the death of a cow was being given importance over killing of a policeman in mob lynching in Bulandshahr.

Shah had said that he was worried for children in today's India because he imagines a situation where his children may be surrounded by an angry mob and asked: "Are you Hindu or Muslim?" 

His comments had drawn sharp reactions from political quarters.

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Pune (PTI): A man suspected to have contracted Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) has died in Maharashtra's Solapur district, while the number of cases of the immunological nerve disorder in Pune has crossed 100, health officials said on Monday.

This is possibly the first death in Maharashtra suspected to have been caused by the GBS.

The man, native of Solapur, had come to Pune, where he is suspected to have contracted the disease.

He died in Solapur, an official said without giving more details.

"The total number of GBS cases in Pune on Sunday increased to 101, comprising 68 males and 33 females. Of these, 16 patients are on ventilator support. One suspected death has been reported in Solapur," the state health department official said.

Meanwhile, the Rapid Response Team (RRT) and the Pune Municipal Corporation's health department continued surveillance in the affected Sinhgad Road areas here.

A total of 25,578 houses have been surveyed so far, including 15,761 in the Pune Municipal Corporation limits, 3,719 in Chinchwad Municipal Corporation limits, and 6,098 houses in the district's rural areas, the official said.

GBS is a rare condition that causes sudden numbness and muscle weakness, with symptoms including severe weakness in the limbs, loose motions etc.

Bacterial and viral infections generally lead to GBS as they weaken the immunity of patients, according to doctors.

While GBS is prevalent in both paediatric and young-age groups, it will not lead to an epidemic or pandemic, they said, adding that most patients recover fully with treatment.

The state health department set up the Rapid Response Team to investigate the sudden rise in this infection after 24 suspected cases were found initially.