Shiv Sena on Thursday criticized Sharad Pawar for defending actor Aamir Khan over his intolerance remarks, it said that the NCP chief has lost connect with the sentiments of the people.

Mumbai: Shiv Sena on Thursday criticised Sharad Pawar for defending actor Aamir Khan over his remarks on intolerance.

Sena in an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana said that the NCP chief has lost connect with the sentiments of the people. "If according to Pawar intolerance means betraying the country whose food you eat then you should call Aamir Khan to Baramati and honour him with Nishan E Baramati award...What Pawar is saying in Aamir Khan's defence does not befit the character of Maharashtra," the editorial read.

The party paper also said, "It is unfortunate that a leader who has been in politics and in power for so many years should consider anti-India remarks of the actor as a personal view."

The editorial also added that it was necessary to tell Pawar to make comments that aligned better with his age and experience.

Slamming Aamir Khan's critics, Pawar on Wednesday had said that the tone and tenor of the reactions to the Bollywood superstar's statement on growing intolerance in the country actually lent substance to the debate on the issue and to say that he got his wealth in India itself betrayed an intolerant attitude.

The 50-year-old actor in an interaction at the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism awards ceremony on Monday had said, "Kiran (his wife) and I have lived all our life in India. For the first time, she said, should we move out of India...She fears for her child, she fears about what the atmosphere around us will be."

PTI