(Image source from: Aamir says)

Actor Aamir Khan said neither his wife not he have any intention to leave India, amid outrage over his remarks on intolerance. Aamir spoke at the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards ceremony. He added that all those hurling obscenities at him are only proving his point about intolerance.

Aamir Khan said, “First let me state categorically that neither I, nor my wife Kiran, have any intention of leaving the country. We never did, and nor would we like to in the future. Anyone implying the opposite has either not seen my interview or is deliberately trying to distort what I have said. India is my country, I love it, I feel fortunate for being born here, and this is where I am staying. Secondly, I stand by everything that I have said in my interview.”

“To all those people who are calling me anti-national, I would like to say that I am proud to be Indian, and I do not need anyone’s permission nor endorsement for that. To all the people shouting obscenities at me for speaking my heart out, it saddens me to say you are only proving my point,” Khan said.

“To all the people who have stood by me, thank you. We have to protect what this beautiful and unique country of ours really stands for. We have to protect its integrity, diversity, inclusiveness, its many languages, its culture, its history, its tolerance, it’s concept of ekantavada, it’s love, sensitivity and its emotional strength,” he said.

Aamir, however, said he stands by earlier statements and showed no signs of bowing down to severe criticism.

-Sumana