Akal Takht officiating Jathedar supports Diljit Dosanjh, asks people not to spread hatred

Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj on Sunday extended his support to singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh, who is facing backlash over his movie Sardaar Ji 3, featuring Pakistani actor Hania Aamir.

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Diljit has faced criticism for appearing in a film featuring an actor from an “enemy” country, especially in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.

The incident had led to the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor targeting terror camps in Pakistan.

The beleaguered actor had on Saturday got the backing of the BJP, which had described him a “national asset” and “global ambassador” of the Indian culture. Commenting over the controversy, Gargaj advised people not to spread hatred while saying he did not endorse any restriction on the movie.

Without taking the name of any country, he cited the Gurbani and said the nature too did not favour divisions. “The sky remains undivided, air flows without any barrier and birds fly without restrictions,” he said to make the point.

Bajwa throws weight behind singer-actor

Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, also backed Diljit amid calls by the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) to revoke the artiste’s Indian citizenship over the casting of Hania Amir in the movie.

“I find FWICE’s demand not only unreasonable but also unjustified,” said Bajwa. “Diljit Dosanjh is a celebrated Indian artiste who has made all of us proud on the global stage. He has taken Indian and Punjabi culture to Coachella and represented our heritage at the Met Gala – events that are prestigious platforms followed worldwide.”

Bajwa stressed that such international representation should be applauded, not questioned. “It is Indian investors who finance these creative ventures and it is the people of Punjab and India who earn livelihoods and recognition through them,” he added.