Now, Kailash Vijaybargiya, a senior BJP leader from Madhya Pradesh, has called actor Shah Rukh Khan a deshdrohi.

Just how low and how cheap can they go? There seems no stopping the BJP loose cannons as they go on shooting from the hip.

They go on making one nasty communal comment after another and it seems there’s hardly anyone in the party to rein them in. Now, Kailash Vijaybargiya, a senior BJP leader from Madhya Pradesh, has called actor Shah Rukh Khan a deshdrohi.

Responding to Khan’s recent remark on the growing culture of intolerance in the country, the BJP leader, in a series of tweets equated his actions to that of a traitor.

शाहरुख़ खान रहते भारत में हैं पर उनका मन सदा पाकिस्तान में रहता है। उनकी फिल्मों यहाँ करोड़ो कमाती है पर उन्हें भारत असहिष्णु नजर आता है 1/5 — Kailash Vijayvargiya (@KailashOnline) November 3, 2015

(Shah Rukh Khan lives in India but his mind is in Pakistan. His films earn crores here but he sees India as an intolerant nation.)

यह देशद्रोह नहीं तो क्या? भारत संयुक्त-राष्ट्र का स्थाई सदस्य बनने को है, पाक समेत सभी भारत विरोधी ताकते इसके विरुद्ध षड्यंत्र रच रही है 2/5 — Kailash Vijayvargiya (@KailashOnline) November 3, 2015

(If this is not sedition, then what is it? India is on the verge of becoming a permanent member of the United Nations (Security Council), but everyone including Pakistan are conspiring to derail it.)

भारत मे असहिष्णुता का माहौल बनाना षडयंत्र का हिस्सा है। शाहरुख़ ने 'असहिष्णुता का राग' पाक व भारत विरोधी ताकतों के सुर में सुर मिलाना है 3/5 — Kailash Vijayvargiya (@KailashOnline) November 3, 2015

(To make India an intolerant nation is part of this conspiracy. Shah Rukh is now singing in the same tune of intolerance along with Pakistan and other anti-India forces.)

जब 1993 में बॉम्बे में सेकड़ों लोग मारे गये तब शाहरुख़ खान कहाँ थे? जब मुम्बई पर 26/11 को हमला हुआ तब शाहरुख़ कहाँ थे? 4/5 — Kailash Vijayvargiya (@KailashOnline) November 3, 2015

(When hundreds were killed in the 1993 Mumbai serials blasts where was Shah Rukh Khan? When Mumbai was attacked on 26/11 where was Shah Rukh then?)

आज सारी दुनिया भारत व उसके नेतृत्व का मान कर रही है, ऐसे में यहाँ असहिष्णुता बढ़ने की बात करना, दुनिया के समक्ष भारत को कमजोर करना होगा। 5/5 — Kailash Vijayvargiya (@KailashOnline) November 3, 2015

(Today the whole world is taking note of India's leadership, at this juncture talking about rising intolerance is like weakening India globally.)

This comes a day after Khan, celebrating his 50th birthday in Mumbai said he supports the artistes who have returned their awards and believes they are brave. However, he has never really been a part of something this “huge and meaningful” and he may return his Padma Shri “symbolically”.

“Just a symbolic gesture, yes, If I have to,” he said in response to a question by Rajdeep Sardesai during a Twitter Townhall interview with India Today.

The actor, who has been a part of blockbusters such as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Devdas, was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2005.

"I respect the people, if they have a call that makes them feel that if the gesture is going to turn things around, I think it’s very brave, very honest, very clean. As far as I am concerned, I’ve never participated in something as huge and as meaningful, as they have. But if it calls for it yes… symbolically, yes, it is important if you feel cinema is suffering, then here’s my national award… I stand by the people who take a stand,” said Khan.

When quizzed on why he hasn’t taken a stand on current issues, the way Hollywood stars do, Khan compared the situations in India and the US. “Here we have a country where there are lots of things you can’t talk, I can’t talk, what is said is broken down. America… has a little more leeway in speaking a voice. We talk about freedom of speech, but people come outside my house and throw stones if I take a stand on X thing or Y thing like I have taken before.”

He added, “In the larger interest of being able to do the job that I do, I need to, and it’s sad and it’s unfortunate and I feel extremely pathetic about it, that it’s better to be quiet and do the job. Because if you stop my film on Friday, and nobody dares to tell them ‘Don’t stop his film on Friday,’ it’s extremely sad. And it’s not just the business and the money, it’s extremely sad. I spoke, and you can’t stop my film. I don’t think in America for speaking your mind, your films are stopped on a Friday.”

He gave the FTII situation as an example and said, “If I talk about something about FTII, I will have 17 people gunning for me.” However, he did speak about it later, saying, “what’s happening is completely wrong, it’s extremely disturbing”.

When asked if he believes intolerance is rising in the country, he answered, “There is extreme intolerance, there is growing intolerance, people just put words in the air before even thinking about it. And here’s a secular country…we keep talking about modern India, we keep talking about progressing, we keep talking about the new India, and we just keep talking. I don’t think if this country is not going to be secular… the youngsters are not going to stand for it. This is the only advice I can give at 50. Intolerance religiously, not being secular in this country, it is the worst kind of crime you can do as a patriot.”