Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday reiterated his stance on the government's approach to the sentiment of intolerance saying instead of branding people as anti-national and unpatriotic, they should speak to them and understand their view. In a series of tweets, the Congress leader said the way to solve problems in India was not by bullying, threatening and abusing but to "reach out to people to understand what's disturbing them." Instead of branding all those who question the Govt & Modiji- as unpatriotic, anti national or 'motivated'(1/3) — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 24, 2015 The Govt would do better to reach out to people to understand what's disturbing them (2/3) — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 24, 2015 That's the way to solve problems in India- not by bullying, threatening & abusing! (3/3) — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 24, 2015 Rahul's remarks come a day after Bollywood actor Aamir Khan joined the debate on intolerance saying there was a feeling of despondency in the country over the last seven to eight months. Aamir was speaking at the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in New Delhi. Watch: Aamir Khan speaks on intolerance in India Speaking at the award ceremony, Aamir had said, “For creative people, to voice what they feel is important. A number of creative people — historians and scientists — have increasingly had a certain feeling that they feel they need to express. One of the ways of expressing their dissatisfaction or disappointment is to return awards.” Aamir also spoke of a sense of “insecurity” and “fear” that had seeped deep within society, even in his family. “(Wife) Kiran and I have lived all our lives in India. For the first time, she said, should we move out of India? That’s a disastrous and big statement for Kiran to make to me. She fears for her child. She fears about what the atmosphere around us will be. She feels scared to open the newspapers everyday. That does indicate that there is a sense of growing disquiet,” he said, in the presence of Union ministers Arun Jaitley, Venkaiah Naidu and Suresh Prabhu among others. Earlier on Tuesday, BJP national spokesperson Nalin Kohli maintained that there was continuous free debate and that expression of dissent has taken place all the time, proof enough of how tolerant a society we are. “There have been incidents, but we cannot allow the exceptions to become the defining character of India. India was, is and always will be a tolerant society,” Kohli said, adding “the only time we have seen intolerance in India is during the Emergency under Indira Gandhi. Nobody could even express themselves freely. Where is that situation in the country after that? No less than the President and Prime Minister have spoken about how tolerant a society we are.” Aamir's fraternity colleagues Anupam Kher and BJP MP Paresh Rawal, too, questioned his remarks saying he should be spreading hope and not fear. "Aamir is a fighter so he should not leave but change the situation in the country! jeena yahan marna yahan! A true patriot will not run away n leave his motherland behind in turmoil or in troubled times (if any )… don’t escape – build it…" Rawal tweeted.
