Row over Kher's counter-protest

Actor Anupam Kher’s “March for India” rally, aimed at conveying to President Pranab Mukherjee a counter voice against the protests over “rising intolerance”, ran into a controversy on Saturday after two woman journalists covering the event were heckled by participants.

“First was called a prostitute, heckled, chased just for saying that the Indian creative world is divided on this issue,” NDTV reporter Bhairavi Singh said in a series of tweets after the incident.

Kher later apologised for the incident as it triggered a fresh round of debate in the social media where many questioned the level of tolerance shown by artists and thinkers joining his protest march. “If any individual did this during the rally, I apologise,” the NDTV quoted him as saying.

A large number of people from various states joined Kher’s march. The participants included Madhur Bhandarkar, Ashoke Pandit, Priyadarshan, Chandraprakash Diwedi, Malini Awasthi and Gajendra Solanki from film industry. Renowned Kathak dancer Birju Maharaj also took part in the march that began from the National Museum. Kher also led a delegation of 51 artists and writers to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.