MNS demand for Rs 5 crores wrong, say Venkaiah Naidu, Manohar Parrikar

Minister Parikkar said the central government did not appreciate the manner in which Johar was forced to make the donation to the newly-created Battle Casualty Fund.

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“The concept (of donating to army) is voluntary and not (by) catching the neck of someone. We do not appreciate it,” Parikkar said. (Source: File)

TWO UNION ministers, Manohar Parikkar and M Venkaiah Naidu, said on Tuesday that the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s demand that film producer Karan Johar should contribute Rs 5 crore to the army welfare fund was wrong and donations to the army must be voluntary.

On Saturday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis brokered a compromise between MNS president Raj Thackeray and Johar, according to which the film producer agreed to contribute Rs 5 crore to the army welfare fund as “prayaschit” (penance) for casting Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in his film Ae Dil Hail Mushkil.

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Defence Minister Parikkar said the central government did not appreciate the manner in which Johar was forced to make the donation to the newly-created Battle Casualty Fund, to ensure the Diwali release of his film. “The concept (of donating to army) is voluntary and not (by) catching the neck of someone. We do not appreciate it,” Parikkar said in the capital, on the sidelines of a function.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Venkaiah Naidu said the MNS demand was wrong. “It was a wrong proposal (from the MNS). We do not agree with the proposal. The Maharashtra chief minister has clarified that he was not a part of the proposal that was made by some other (political) party (MNS),” Naidu said.

Naidu also clarified that the central government did not “subscribe to that kind of thinking” and did not have any role to play in the matter.
The state government has been criticised for giving in to the demands of the MNS. The union ministers, however, steered clear of the role played by the state government.

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Fadnavis, meanwhile, has defended his decision, claiming that he did not broker a deal but only held talks with the two parties in order to find a solution. “If talks can be held with Hurriyat and Naxals, what is wrong in talking with the MNS,” the Chief Minister told The Indian Express on Monday.

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