Lucknow/Mumbai: Adding his voice to growing protests over ‘climate of intolerance’, Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan on Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi must rein in errant party members, failing which peace could be under threat.
Khan also saw nothing wrong in writers and artistes returning their awards, saying they “are not mad” but pained at the situation in the country. Asked if he was mulling returning his awards, Khan said, “As of now I am watching the situation.”
Khan's view on return of awards was endorsed by actor Shabana Azmi, who termed it a “symbolic gesture” to raise awareness about 'growing intolerance'. “What is happening is very painful. I was watching Narayanmurthy's interview yesterday and he also felt very concerned.
Perhaps the situation does not seem to be normal..... Modiji wants to do a lot of things, but there are some persons around him, who speak whatever comes on their tongue and do whatever they want,” Khan told reporters in Lucknow.
In Jodhpur, devotional singer Anup Jalota termed the trend of returning National and Akademi Awards in protest against “growing intolerance” an “insult” to the nation. “The award given to them is a national award and returning that in protest is nothing but an insult to not only that award but the nation itself.”
