Anupam Kher's tweet quoting Guru Gobind to praise BJP's Patra kicks up row

Anupam Kher, actor and husband of Chandigarh BJP MP Kiron Kher, stirred up a controversy after he used the 'sacred' words of Guru Gobind Singh to praise BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra.

Yesterday, Kher had tweeted “Sava lakh se ek bhida doon”, tagging Patra. He was referring to the BJP spokesperson being thrashed on social media for posting the picture of a child sitting on his grandfather who was shot dead in Kashmir yesterday. The tweet was captioned 'Pulitzer lovers'.

Taking umbrage at Kher's reaction, Congress MP from Punjab Ravneet Singh Bittu sought stringent action against him for allegedly trying to spoil the image of the Sikhs. Bittu called Kher's tweet an attempt by RSS to dilute the strong tenets of Sikhism.

“How dare he use the sacred words of Guru Gobind Singh to describe Patra, PM Modi should immediately render an apology and his wife should be expelled from BJP. Such public statements are unacceptable,” tweeted Bittu.

As the tweet snowballed into a major controversy, Kher issued an apology in the afternoon. “I had written wrong in my last tweet, I seek apology for same. I am hereby quoting the right words and right emotions
'Sava lakh se ek ladaun, tabhi Gobind Singh naam kahaun', he tweeted in Hindi.

Several Sikh organisations have moved the Akal Takht seeking action against Kher for demeaning the tenth Guru on a public platform.

Meanwhile, Punjab Youth Congress has demanded penal action against Kher. "For the community, the words are basis of our faith and belief system and such casual usage is a humiliation to every single Sikh. It is not a mistake but an intended move to disrupt communal harmony. Relevant action needs to taken," Punjab Youth Congress president Barinder Singh Dhillon told THE WEEK.