Veteran actor Amol Palekar recently attended an event in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, wherein he was seen taking potshots at the current government at the Centre and its supporters. He mentioned that earlier people were harassed by goons, but today, it is done by politicians "support masked mobs" that wreck havoc in the country.
Palekar was seen speaking at the Samajik Salokha Parishad event organised on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Shahu Maharaj.
He also stated how people who do not agree with the government or do not endorse them are conveniently labelled as "traitors" on social media.
'Work of terrorising minorities is going on'
During the event, Palekar stated that the "work of terrorising minorities" in the country has been going on for the last few decades.
Without taking names, he went on to say that dictatorship arises when mobs start supporting one person. He added that a "web of such a mob of blind followers" has surrounded everyone, but people continue to remain "inactive and unawares".
Palekar also mentioned how "people who did not beat thalis" during the lockdown were tagged as urban naxals and traitors. "It is easy to control a society with homogenous characters," he said.
Palekar's dig at The Kerala Story, The Kashmir Files
"A saffronised Hindu India is their quintessential goal," Palekar stated, adding that virtual threats on social media have now become a reality.
"Social media is a form of symbolic violence that creates structures and prevents collective discourse," he said.
Calling 'The Kerala Story' and 'The Kashmir Files' "propaganda movies", Palekar mentioned how these films were declared tax-free in the country.
Palekar also mentioned that the murders of Gauri Lankesh, Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and others were an "attempt to finish their thoughts".
