Patna

Union Minister Arun Jaitley today stepped up attack on those returning awards by calling them “rabid anti-BJP elements” and stuck to his guns that their protest is a manufactured rebellion.

“Those returning awards are playing politics by other means. Follow their tweets and their stances on various social and political issues. You will find a lot of rabid anti-BJP elements in them,” Jaitley, who holds charge of Finance and Information and Broadcasting Ministries, told reporters.

“I had already called it a manufactured rebellion. I stand by my phrase. And I think, the events as they are unfolding only indicate that kind of manufacturing is going on at faster speed,” the Minister said here while replying to a question on the returning of awards by writers, film-makers and scientists.

He also claimed that some of them had gone to Varanasi to campaign against Narendra Modi in the last general elections.

Stating that space of the Left has reduced, he claimed that those returning awards were in a way electioneering against the BJP in Bihar polls.

The Union minister, however, said there was a disproportionate political reaction to the incidents taking place in the country and asked those returning awards if their conscience had pricked when corruption and scams to the tune of lakhs and crores of rupees were taking place during the UPA rule.

On the students of FTII withdrawing agitation and resuming academic activities, Jaitley welcomed the move and said the government wanted to make FTII an institution of excellence.

Anupam Kher slams filmmakers for returning National Award

Mumbai

Veteran actor Anupam Kher has slammed the directors, who returned their National Awards in solidarity with the protesting FTII students, calling it a move motivated by “agenda”.

Kher, 60 termed the group of directors “Award Wapsi Gang”.

“Some more usual suspects, who never wanted @narendramodi to become PM in d first place have joined the #AwardWapsi gang. Jai Ho,” he tweeted.

“Some of these usual suspects of #AwardWapsiGang were instrumental in getting me out of Censor Board the moment Congress came in power. #Agenda.”

The actor said the filmmakers have insulted the National Awards jury and the audience, who watches their films.

“This #AwardWapsiGang has not insulted the Govt but The Jury, The Chairman of the Jury and the audience who watched their films. #Agenda,” he posted.

Will not return National Award: Vidya Balan

Mumbai

Bollywood star Vidya Balan today said she will not give back her national award as it was an honour bestowed on her by the country and not the government.

The comment come in the backdrop of some film personalities returning their National Awards.

“This honour (the award) is by the nation and not the government. So I do not want to return it,” Balan said at the ‘India Today’ Conclave here.

Balan had won the National award for the best actress for her performance in ‘The Dirty Picture’ in 2012.

Meanwhile, Vidya Balan said she was not interest in joining politics and would “fail miserably” at it.

She also said that working towards social causes should be an individual decision and no one should be compelled to work for a particular cause.

The 37-year-old actress will be next seen in the Marathi film ‘Ek Albela’, a biopic on actor-director Bhagwan Dada. She will be portraying golden era actress Geeta Bali in the film.

The film is scheduled for release in January next year.

PTI