Pakistani artists should be temporarily banned: Union Minister
New Delhi: Union Minister Babul Supriyo on Wednesday called for a temporary ban on Pakistani artists for working in the Hindi film industry.
Supriyo, a singer-turned-politician, had said Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's voice in the song "Ishtehar" from "Welcome To New York" must be removed and dubbed by someone else as he was not able to comprehend the need or desire to cross the border for entertainment content at a time when tensions on the India-Pakistan border had escalated.
When asked, why the issue was not raised when singer Atif Aslam crooned a number for "Tiger Zinda Hai?", Supriyo replied in a press conference: "'Dil Diyan Gallan' is nice song. There is another nice song sung by Atif in 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan'... My morals as an artist or sensibilities, I agree that artistes have no boundary.
Supriyo said that he spoke as an Indian first and that a stand needs to be made on temporarily banning Pakistani artistes in Bollywood.
But will it be a permanent stand?
"I can't say if it will be a permanent or a temporary stand. It depends on people... I can't say... I don't know what the time limit or frame is," replied Supriyo.
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Niqab incident: Nitish Kumar perhaps revealing his true colours, says J-K CM
Srinagar (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday criticised his Bihar counterpart over the niqab incident and said that Nitish Kumar might be slowly revealing his true nature.
"Nitish Kumar, who was once considered a secular leader, may be slowly showing his true colours," Abdullah told reporters here on the sidelines of a function.
Abdullah said Kumar removing the face veil of a Muslim woman doctor was wrong and cannot be justified by any means.
"We have seen this kind of incident here several years ago. Have you forgotten how Mehbooba Mufti removed the burqa of a legitimate voter inside a polling station? That act was wrong, and this act (of Kumar) is also wrong.
"If the (Bihar) chief minister did not want to hand over the order to her (Muslim woman), they could have kept her aside. However, to humiliate her like this is totally wrong," the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said.
Kumar stirred a huge controversy after he removed the face veil of a Muslim woman at a function earlier this week.
