'Not seeking forgiveness but punishment': Om Puri apologises for insulting soldiers
Mumbai: After facing an outrage for insulting Uri martyrs by commenting, “Who had asked the soldiers to join the army?” Om Puri on Friday apologised for his remarks and has asked for punishment.
As reported by ANI, the veteran actor said, "Their (people) anger is justified, I am not seeking forgiveness but punishment. Iska koi justification nahi hai, iska prayashith main ek constructive tareeke se karunga, main apni sazaa bhuktunga. (There is no justificatoin for this. I will atone for this in a constructive way. I will pay for my action.)”
He went ahead and said that he would go to the families of these martyrs and personally apologise to them for his statements.
On September 29, Indian Army carried out a surgical strike across the Line of Control (LoC), which received a lot of reaction online. Apart from people on Twitter, many B-Town celebrities also spoke out on the issue, one of them was Om Puri, who came out in support of Pakistani artistes and ended by allegedly insulting Indian soldiers after he lost his cool during a television debate.
“Who had asked the soldiers to join the army? Who told them to pick the weapons? We haven’t forced them to join the Army. My father was also in the army… We are proud of soldiers. I am asking you, do you want India and Pakistan to become Israel and Palestine?" Om Puri had said.
Expressing discontent over ban on Pakistani artistes in India, Puri asserted that art and politics need to be held mutually exclusive. He added, “Pakistanis working in Indian films isn’t illegal and their being shunned would only lead to the concerned produces incurring heavy losses.”
Om Puri’s remarks didn’t go down well with people who slammed him on the internet. A Mumbai lawyer even lodged a FIR against the actor.
After a police complaint was filed, Om Puri had said, “I am very embarrassed at what I said and I deserve punishment, not forgiveness. I first apologise to his (an Uri attack martyr) family, if at all they will forgive me, I apologise to the whole country, the army. I know it’s not justified that you say so much and then think a sorry will make it right.”
He added, “I am guilty and I deserve a punishment. I want to be tried by the army, I should be court-martialled. I want a constructive punishment. The army should teach me how to use weapons and send me on the same site where that brave man was sacrificed himself for the country. I don’t want to be forgiven. I am pleading to the nation I want to be punished.”
