Salman Khan an agent of cultural aggression? Know why separatist chief slammed the actor

Srinagar, May 20: Coming down heavily on Bollywood actor Salman Khan, separatist Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM) chief Asiya Indrabi said that he was acting as an agent of "cultural aggression" in Jammu and Kashmir by batting for increased tourism and opening of cinema halls in the valley.

"Salman Khan is acting like an Indian agent to help cultural aggression of Kashmir by India," Asiya told reporters.

The firebrand chief alleged India was planning to export whatever is "immoral" and "un-Islamic" into Kashmir through the medium of cinema and for this, agents like Salman Khan were being used. She asserted that re-opening of cinema

would be opposed at all costs by her group.

"We will not allow cinema halls to function in Kashmir. Whatever be the cost," she said.

The radical women's outfit leader also hit out at Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, accusing him of promoting obscenity and vulgarity in the name of tourism promotion.

"Mufti (sayeed) and Salman Khan are promoting obscenity and vulgarity in the name of Bollywood and giving push to tourism in Kashmir," Indrabi told reporters.

Commenting on Bollywood actor's support for reopening of cinema halls in Kashmir, Indrabi said her party will continue to oppose any such move.

"We ensured that cinema halls get closed as films (movies) are tools of vice. We will continue our struggle against reopening of these halls," she said, adding "Cinema is the greatest vice to encourage waywardness among the society."

Salman, who completed shooting for 'Bajrangi Bhaijan', had on Sunday batted for reopening of cinema halls in Kashmir asserting that everyone here watches movies on television and even through pirated CDs and this could be checked if the Valley got its cinema theatres back.

"Everyone watches movies here. Cinema theatres should be re-opened here. We would love to premiere a film here if theatres are re-opened," he had said.

Salman Khan had on Sunday advocated the re-opening of cinema theatres in the Valley

Radical groups like the Dukhtaran-e-Milat campaigned against cinema halls, beauty parlours, wine shops and video parlours in the Valley in the early 1990s and forced their closure.

No cinema hall has been able to restart operations in Kashmir since then.The DeM, along with now-defunct militant outfit 'Allah Tigers', had forced closure of cinema halls in the valley in 1989 by targeting them.

OneIndia News

(With inputs from agencies)