Ensure security for ‘Dangal’ actor, Dy Speaker tells govt

Jammu, January 16

The issue of ‘Dangal’ girl Zaira Wasim, a Kashmiri who posted an apology on social media, today figured in the Assembly with a BJP member saying “anti-national forces” had issued death threats to the 16-year-old actress and that adequate security should be given to her.

After Ravinder Raina raised the issue, Deputy Speaker Nazir Ahmed instructed the government to look into the issue and take appropriate steps.

During a discussion on the Budget in the House, Raina raised a “point of information”, saying the young actress had received death threats. “I have come to know from reliable people that the young girl of our state Zaira Wasim, who played a beautiful role in ‘Dangal’ movie and had recently met the Chief Minister (Mehbooba Mufti) has received death threats,” he said. — PTI

Bollywood comes out in Zaira’s support   

Mumbai: Writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar and Bollywood director Vivek Agnihotri expressed their disappointment with individuals for trolling Zaira Wasim. Akhtar tweeted: “Those who shout ‘azadi’ from the rooftops don’t give an iota of azadi to others. Poor Zaira Waseem had to apologise for her success. Shame!”  Agnihotri also shared instances from his past and lashed out at individuals for not taking a stand for Zaira. “Last year, I was shooting with Yami Gautam and other Kashmiri girls in the Valley, the militants came armed to kill those girls. This is the reality of Kashmir,” Agnihotri posted. — IANS

‘She shouldn’t have been forced to apologise’    

Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took to Twitter to hit out at the Chief Minister saying, “I’ve a problem with Mehbooba Mufti trying to usurp other people’s success to cover up her own failures but why punish (and) troll people she meets,” Omar said. He also defended Zaira, saying that she should not have been “forced to apologise”. — TNS