Mumbai, Dec 18, 2019-
Most Bollywood celebrities have come out in support of the student protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA). However, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri has denounced the protests, and has been waging wars on multiple fronts against many celebrities who have supported the Act as well as the protests.
After wars of words on social media with filmmaker Anurag Kashyap and actress Swara Bhasker, Agnihotri on Wednesday launched a below-the-belt attack on actor-filmmaker-singer Farhan Akhtar, over what the latter conceded was an erroneous post.
It all began with Akhtar’s post on Wednesday morning. He wrote: “Here’s what you need to know about why these protests are important. See you on the 19th at August Kranti Maidan, Mumbai. The time to protest on social media alone is over.”
The problem was that Akhtar’s post accompanied a map of India where parts of Kashmir are excluded.
Although Akhtar soon clarified with a fresh tweet that the map was “inccurate”, and apologised for the same, Agnihotri was in an unsparing mood. He posted to compare Akhtar to ISI, Jehadis and ISPR agents.
He tweeted: “Pic 1/2: posted by ISI, Jehadis and ISPR agents. Pic 3/4: posted by one of the leaders of Bollywood. Same. Same. Only God knows who is feeding whom.”
Also on Wednesday, Agnihotri’s social media battle with filmmaker Kashyap, which had started the day before, continued.
It started when Agnihotri posted a tweet taking a dig at the protests at Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia University, which reads: “3000 students. 30,000 protestors. Who supplied 27,000 dummy students?”
Reacting to his tweet, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap tweeted: “Have you asked this question to @AmitShah ? Please do?? It has been a Modus operandi of the government since the beginning .. or go investigate with the correct authorities. Funny how your questions keep changing with new findings by the police..”
Reacting to Kashyap’s retort, Agnihotri took a sarcastic dig at Kashyap, who had quit Twitter earlier this year.
He replied: “No, @anuragkashyap72, my brother, I haven’t asked any question to @AmitShah because I am not Anurag Kashyap who would ask the PM/HM inane questions at midnight. Also, I don’t sulk and quit.”
Since Tuesday, too, Agnihotri also engaged in a war of words with actress Swara Bhasker on Twitter.
Swara had tweeted: “Violence is 2 b condemned. Appeal 2 all protestors to remain peaceful & non violent. Do not succumb to provocation! Peaceful protest is your moral legitimacy. DO NOT get provoked! If u see anyone indulge in violence around u – STOP THEM! Peaceful principled protest is ONLY way.”
Reacting to this, Agnihotri called her a hypocrite and posted: “When your hands are red with the blood of innocent people. You can’t provoke and divide people with your hate round the year and now when exposed, writing such posts. Such hypocrisy. Not acceptable.”
Swara replied asking if he was on drugs. To which, the filmmaker replied: “No, someone gave you the wrong contact of your drug dealer.” (Agency)
