Karan Johar bytes: VK Singh bites bad apple
Union Minister Gen. V.K. Singh refuses to be drawn into any further controversy after the nauseating dog remark of his. So when newsmen asked a visiting Union Minister in Jaipur about his reaction to film-maker and actor Karan Johar's assertion at the literary festival there that freedom of expression and democracy are the first and second biggest jokes in the country, the former Army Chief, who in uniform gave the fright of their lives to the Congress leadership, got angry on Saturday. Media, as we are aware, always wants reaction for any thoughtless act that goes on in the public domain in the country. "Let's go straight over there," as the TV announcer says. Newsmen persisted on the former Army Chief's reaction. "Why are we discussing Karan Johar, go talk to him. Ask me something important. I am here to meet party workers to encourage them," Gen. Singh said. No, No, that will not do, we want a comprehensive reaction. Army men in such tricky situations can sometimes be as good as sailors. Gen. Singh said: "Ja kar uski pitay kar lo yaar, tum mere peeche kyon padh rahe ho? (Go beat him up, why are you wasting my time?). Now, Jaipur is literally becoming a source of nuisance debate in the country. Intolerance debate has begun there. Writers who cannot put down what they have in mind freely use their tongue-lashing on this country and its institutions. The students who take the tongue-lashing seriously get into untold misery. What, for example, do you make of Karan Johar's assertion that democracy is a joke and freedom of expression is the biggest joke in this country? Must we take Johar as the ultimate in political science and human values? As it turns out, what Karan Johar says is soon forgotten. What Gen V.K. Singh reacted will go on being debated. That is intolerance debate for you.
