New Delhi: Angry over Rishi Kapoor’s scathing attack on the Nehru-Gandhi family questioning the naming of country’s assets after them, Congress workers have named a public toilet after the veteran actor.
Some Congress workers gathered at the Shivaji Park area in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, and hung a placard with Kapoor’s name over a public toilet. The protesters said that the naming of public assets after the Gandhi family was justified as the country prospered after achieving freedom due to them.
In response, the actor said on Tuesday that he was thrilled by such a move. He said unlike the Congress loyalists, he would be of some use to the people. “I take pride in the fact that the public toilet is named after me because it is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project ‘Clean India’,” he told the media.
In a series of tweets, Kapoor had last week questioned naming of assets after former PM Rajiv Gandhi.
“If the names of prominent roads in the capital Delhi can be changed, why not names of the Congress assets/property? We must name important assets of the country after those who have contributed to the society. Kapoor had tweeted on May 17.
Expressing displeasure over name of Delhi’s airport, he asked, “why is it Indira Gandhi International Airport, why not after the names of Mahatma Gandhi or Bhagat Singh or BR Ambedkar or on my name Rishi Kapoor. What say? Change Gandhi family assets named by Congress, Bandra/Worli Sea Link to Lata Mangeshkar or JRD Tata link road. Baap ka maal samajh rakha tha (they consider it their father’s property).”
The 63-year-old actor then asked for suggestions from the people on whether the names can be after tall film personalities such as Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Ashok Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan.
“Imagine Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar venues on their names like in our country. Why not? Just a suggestion. My father Raj Kapoor has made India proud over the years all over even after his death, certainly more than what has been achieved by politicians,” he had tweeted.
Kapoor’s comments had invited a massive protest by Congress workers outside his house in Mumbai last week. Reacting to his tweets, the Congress called him “parochial” and said he sought “power.”
“Rishi Kapoor fails to realise the contribution of the Gandhi family towards nation building. His views are narrow and biased,” senior Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam had told the media in Mumbai.
