Veteran actor Vikram Gokhale on Sunday extended his support to Kangana Ranaut in her statement that India attained true independence only after 2014.
Gokhale said that we in India got freedom in alms as it was ‘given’. He said many freedom fighters were hanged and the bigwigs at that time didn’t try to save them and remained mute spectators, he said.
Earlier, four time national award winning actress Kangana Ranaut had stoked up controversy after she said that India attained real freedom only in 2014 when the Narendra Modi government came to power. She had described India’s independence in 1947 from the British as ‘bheek’ (alms). After her comment drew ire, Kangana had gone on to defend herself and said that she would return her Padma award if she is proven wrong.
Gokhale was speaking on the sidelines of an event organised by Brahman Mahasangh in Pune to honour his 75th birthday. Speaking to Indian Express, Gokhale said that he agreed with Kangana that India got real freedom in 2014. He further said that he is not a blind supporter of PM Modi and that he does not necessarily agree with all that PM Modi and HM Shah say during the election campaigns. “But yes, when they work in national interest, like how they put China on the backfoot, I support them,” he said.
Reacting to Gokhale’s support to Ranaut, Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan taunted and asked him to join the BJP if he (Gokhale) is supporting Ranaut. Gokhale, however, said that his views are his alone and he was not a supporter of any political party. Meanwhile, Santosh Shinde of Sambhaji Brigade has claimed Gokhale’s support to Kangana is seditious and he would file a police case on him. Similarly, Aam Aadmi Party is also contemplating legal action against Gokhale.