Mumbai,February 07 :Rattled by Rahul Gandhi’s whirlwind Mumbai visit that literally derailed the Shiv Sena, the party continued its flip-flop on its next target — Shah Rukh’s My Name Is Khan. Even as SRK, who returned to Mumbai from the US on Saturday, declared that he had done nothing wrong and that his statement was twisted, the Sena squirmed on how to position itself on the issue. The editorial in the party mouthpiece, Saamna, said the Sena was not going to oppose SRK’s soon-to-be-released My Name is Khan anymore. “Shah Rukh can continue to exhibit his movie with blessings from the Italian woman (Congress chief Sonia Gandhi) and mercy from the Prince (Rahul) in any theatre as much as he wants….Shiv Sena is not going to oppose you,” it says.
“Why should our Shiv Sainiks bang their heads, skin themselves and put themselves in prisons without any reason?” the editorial asks. But the mellow-down, the paper insists, is not to be mistaken for frustration. On the other hand, Sena leader Vinayak Raut declared to TV channels that the party’s opposition to SRK was on. However, when the actor landed at Mumbai airport amid heavy police vigil, he encountered no protests from the Sena as was feared. Khan also took the opportunity to extend an olive branch. He said he respected Thackeray and his son Uddhav and he had no qualms in meeting them if he was invited. “I don’t think I need to explain any further. But if there’s an issue, let’s be gracious and talk. What’s the harm in it?” he asked.
Shah Rukh said he stood by his earlier statement and owed no apology to anyone. But, he said, he did not want any confrontation either. “What I said have been misconstrued. I am not pro some country and against my own country. I am pro good relations with all countries,” he said. “I don’t think I am being targeted because I am a Muslim, but my patriotism has been questioned and that’s bad. My daughter asked me if we would have to leave India and that made me sad,” SRK added. On his Mumbai-for-all stand, Shah Rukh said he was what he was because of the city. “I want everyone in the city to be happy and I think all the groups also want everyone in this city to be happy,” he said. SRK’s offer of friendship did have its effect, even if small. Uddhav told mediapersons in Pune that the Sena was not the sole guardian of patriotism. “It’s up to the people now if they want to see his movie or not,” he said.