Naseeruddin Shah fears for his children, sparks Intolerance row

New Delhi: Film actor Naseeruddin Shah on Thursday stirred a row again with his comment on Bulandshahr violence that 'Death of a cow has more significance than that of a police officer'.

In a video on You Tube, Naseeruddin Shah said,''we have already witnessed that the death of a cow has more significance (in today's India) than that of a police officer."Naseeruddin Shah's comments were put online by Karwan-e-Mohabbat India (Caravan of Love) a travelling activist collective that is focussed on highlight and combating instances of hate crimes and lynching.

In the video, Shah also expressed fears over his children's response if they were asked about their religion. "I feel worried about my children. They do not have a religion. I had received religious education as a child. Ratna (his wife who is a Hindu) belongs to a liberal household, so she had received none," he said.

"I feel anxious for my children because tomorrow if a mob surrounds them and asks ?are you a Hindu or a Muslim?, they will have no answer. It worries me because I don't see the situation improving anytime soon,''Shah said.

''I believe that being good or evil has nothing to do with religion. We taught them (children) about good and bad,''Shah said.Shah said that the current situation made him angry.

"I want every right-thinking person to feel angry and not scared. This is our home. Who can dare to evict us from here" he said.

Naseeruddin was referring to the recent Bulandshahr violence in which a police officer was killed by a mob. The violence was sparked by the discovery of cow carcasses.The Uttar Pradesh Police has arrested three people in connection with the alleged cow slaughter. The policeman's killers remain free.

Shah had earlier in the week stirred controversy for his comments in which he described India's cricket captain Virat Kohli as the 'worst behaved' player.(UNI)