Veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar lost his cool at a reporter at a recent public event in Mumbai, reacting strongly to a question concerning his controversial post about the Kanwar Yatra. Known for his outspoken views on social and political issues, Akhtar found himself embroiled in a controversy after he wrote about Uttar Pradesh police's instructions mandating shops, restaurants, and vehicles to display owner information along the Kanwar Yatra route.
On Monday (July 22), Akhtar attended an event in Mumbai where he also interacted with media persons. However, a question on his X (formerly known as Twitter) post irked him and he lashed out at the reporter.
The lyricist said that his presence at the event was not to discuss his post or engage in controversial topics. "Main yaha iss liye nahi aaya hoon," Akhtar is heard saying in the video before walking away from media.
Javed Akhtar's controversial post
The noted screenwriter reacted to UP Police's directive to eateries along the Kanwar yatra route to display the names of the owners, comparing it with the Nazi boycott of Jewish businesses.
Taking to X on July 18, he wrote, "Muzaffarnagar UP police has given instructions that on the route of a particular religious procession in near future all the shops, restaurants and even vehicles should show the name of the owner prominently and clearly. Why ? In Nazi Germany they used to make only a mark on particular shops and houses."
Last week, police had reportedly asked the owners to 'voluntarily' display the names of the eateries on the 240-km long pilgrimage route to avoid any 'confusion' to the Kanwariyas who avoid 'certain' food during their journey.
