Actor Paresh Rawal terms 'Bharat Mata' controversy unfortunate

Ahmedabad, Apr 5: Actor and BJP MP Paresh Rawal has spoken up about the ongoing controversy surrounding chanting of 'Bharat Mata ki jai' and said that his party never forced anyone to do so.

Rawal said that the whole controversy surrounding the chanting of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' is extremely unfortunate. Speaking to India Today, Rawal said: "It is upto people to chant Bharat Mata ki Jai. It is their choice.

As long as they do not say Pakistan Zindabad or say that the country must be divided into small fragments. I only hope people don't say such things." Rawal terms the whole incident unfortunate and says that people must not deviate from real issues.

Reacting to his fellow partymen who say that people must chant Bharat Mata ki Jai or else leave the country, the actor said that he does not support such statements at all.

Earlier speaking to reporters, Rawal said: "BJP never forced anyone to chant the slogan and it is also not appropriate to force someone to do so. It is all about expressing the feeling of patriotism."

OneIndia News