Bollywood actor Anupam Kher was declared a Padma Bhushan awardee on 25 January, an honour he was quick to take to Twitter to comment about. But what got Kher more attention, or rather a lot of unwanted attention, is his tweet from 2010.
Kher, who has famously defended the current government against accusations of intolerance, found himself facing the wrath of netizens who have accused the actor of being hypocritical. He had also criticised artists and writers who returned their awards to protest against the state of intolerance in India.
Many believe that his lenient stance towards the government has led to him being awarded the Padma Bhushan.
At the recently-concluded Jaipur Literature Festival Kher was a panelist at the Is Freedom of Speech Absolute and Unconditional session. During the session, he almost compared Modi to a father figure in an analogy.
Anupam KherFreedom of speech comes with a sense of responsibility. Can you tell your father at home that you’ll slap him? But in India you can say that the Prime Minister is a coward and a psychopath.
With the resurrection of Kher’s six-year-old tweet, the internet has reminded us yet again that it never forgives and never forgets.
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