Was unfairly targeted, says Vikram Gokhale; defends his decision to support Kangana Ranaut

Veteran actor Vikram Gokhale on Friday said he was unfairly targeted for his comments on actor Kangana Ranaut matter. However, he insisted he had not made any insulting remarks against freedom fighters

Veteran actor Vikram Gokhale on Friday defended his support to actor Kangana Ranaut for her controversial comment. However, he insisted he had not made any insulting remarks against freedom fighters.

Vikram Gokhale said he has his reasons for supporting Kangana Ranaut’s statement and is entitled to do so, as it is his right as an Indian citizen. He said he was unfairly targeted.

In addition, he said it was time for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena to come together for the sake of the nation.

Gokhale said he has his reasons for supporting Ranaut’s statement and is entitled to do so, as it is his right as an Indian citizen. “I don’t know Kangana, nor have I worked with her. However, I was unfairly targeted after I supported her statement. Let me make it clear, I have said nothing about the freedom fighters,” said Gokhale.

He said the popular slogan that our freedom was attained without shedding any blood was an insult to the revolutionaries who were killed or hanged while fighting for India’s independence. He said that the India of 1962 was very different from that of 2021, and even our enemies acknowledge this fact.

Ranaut, commenting at a summit, had said that India got ‘bheek’ (alms) in 1947, and attained her ‘real freedom’ in 2014, referring to Narendra Modi being elected as the Prime Minister. This had drawn huge criticism from citizens across the nation. Gokhale was among the very rare personalities who supported her contention.

Gokhale described the recent case of the arrest of Aryan Khan, son of actor Shah Rukh Khan as a minor matter. He further added he has refused offers to join politics and he would continue to criticise the wrong policies of anyone in power, irrespective of the party in power.

Gokhale, who is one of the renowned names in Marathi and Hindi cinema, said that the secularism being practised in India was actually pseudo-secularism, which he did not subscribe to.

Speaking of Maharashtra politics, he said, “The BJP-Shiv Sena have been together for 25 years and they were practising one agenda, which is important for the nation. They fought the elections together and citizens voted for both the parties, but they are deceived today,” said Gokhale.