French-born BJP cheerleader blasted for communal rant against Aamir Khan

French-born journalist Francois Gautier has come under scathing criticism for his controversial tweet on Aamir Khan and eventually slamming Hindus for not endorsing his communal rant.

Sharing a report based on a recent Bollywood buzz that the superstar will work in Rs 1,000-crore movie series based on great Indian epic The Mahabharata, Francois wrote on Twitter: “Why should @AamirKhan, a Muslim, play in most ancient and sacred of Hindu epics, the Mahabharata?” In his tweet he tagged BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking if their “government is going to just stand by in the name of secularism?”

Angrily reacting to his tweet, noted poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar wrote: “You scoundrel, have you not seen peter brooks production of this great epic Mahabharsta in France. I would like to know which foreign agency is paying you to spread this kind of perverse and poisonous thoughts in our country.”

In the same thread, Akhtar went all out against another user who also tried to communalise the issue: “You ignorant unfortunate imbecile, obviously you know nothing about our Indian traditions and culture. Do you know who were Ras Khan, Bullay Shah Waris Shah, Baba Farid Nazeer Akbarabadi, Nizir Banarasi, Bismillah khan. You are just a frog in the stinking well of communalism.”

Stung by scathing criticism Gautier again took to Twitter to vent out his frustration. This time he was critical of Hindus for not endorsing his perverted views: “Shame to a people, who lose pride in their spirituality and ready t abandon it to a religion who repeatedly massacred their temples, men, women and children. Shame on you Hindus!”

Interestingly, the screenplay of Mahabharat, a TV serial produced by B R Chopra and directed by his son Ravi Chopra that ran from October 1988 to June 1990 on DD National, was written by Rahi Masoom Raza.

While his remarks struck a cord with the Hindutva brigade, there were many others who taught him a lesson in secularism and composite culture. Here is a collection of reactions:

Previously, Gautier had claimed in a blog that French astrologer Nostradamus made predictions about India and the rise of Narendra Modi besides foreseeing the growth of BJP. Nostradamus, according to his blog, also predicted that the 'supreme leader' of India will be born in the state of Gujarat to a tea-seller and his first name will be Narendus (Narendra).

The blog also talks about other purported predictions of French astrologer and doctor of the 16th century, such as possible India-Pakistan nuclear war. Quoting another prediction, he also writes that “Hindus will reign from 2014 onwards. They will rule heaven and earth. Nobody will resist them in Asia.”