Pune:
Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu has said that actor Aamir Khan's remarks on the ongoing intolerance debate had hurt him and the country.
"Aamir Khan is a good friend of mine. However, the way he said those things (on rising intolerance), hurt me and hurt the nation and this is my opinion," Mr Naidu said while answering a question raised through a Twitter handle of the 'Chhatra Sansad' (students parliament) at the Maharashtra Institute of Technology in Pune.
"Currently the debate on intolerance is going on in the country. What is intolerance...not respecting other sentiments is intolerance...not accepting the Prime Minister who got massive majority is intolerance," Mr Naidu said in his address.
Last year in November, the 50-year-old 'PK' star had said that he was "alarmed" by a number of incidents and his wife (Kiran Rao) had even suggested that they should probably leave the country, provoking sharp reactions from political circles and showbiz industry besides various sections of the society.
He had also supported those returning their awards, saying one of the ways for creative people to express their dissatisfaction or disappointment is to return their awards.
The Union Minister also took a dig at the Opposition for not allowing the Parliament to function and said that the Parliament functions on three 'D's and that is discuss, debate and decide.
"(But) nowadays there is a fourth D which is being added and that is disrupt...this should not happen," he said. On the new crop insurance scheme, which is being implemented, he said it will help farmers in a big way as cheap credit is being made available through banks and they do not have to go to private money lenders anymore.