Bollywood actor Padma Bhushan Anupam Kher has tweeted his "disappointment" at being "denied Pakistan visa" in order to attend the Karachi Literature Festival which is starting this Friday, February 5.
The veteran actor, and now a prominent public face of the "there's-no-intolerance" brigade, said he is very sad and disappointed that out of 18 participants from India, a list that includes Nandita Das, Salman Khurshid, Barkha Dutt, among others, all 17 except him were granted a visa to Pakistan.
Have been informed that Pakistan MoFA has denied permission for my visa to participate in the Karachi Literature festival.
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) February 2, 2016
Naturally, Kher took to Twitter to express his disappointment.
Sad to have been denied visa on second time in a year. While around 17 people will participate in the Karachi Literature Festival as guests.
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) February 2, 2016
Has my visa been denied because I speak about India's rich tradition of tolerance or I am a Kashmiri Pandit who may expose Pak terror nexus?
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) February 2, 2016
Didn't Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs red flag my name to Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi? Why hide facts deliberately?
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) February 2, 2016
However, the Pakistan High Commission issued a rebuttal claiming that Kher had not een applied for the said visa, and that he should produce "an acknowledgement slip" in case he had.
More tweets followed.
Pak High Commission shud know their own rules. #KarachiLitFest had given my name to authorities 1 month back & have my name in every poster.
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) February 2, 2016
I feel bad for all those people who were looking forward to meet me in Pakistan and vice versa. Sorry to them. Hopefully one day ...
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) February 2, 2016
Obviously, Twitterati didn't miss this golden opportunity to score a few laughter points at Kher's expense.
Here is my Plan-B to enter Pakistan, ab visa bhi denge aur salaam bhi denge. Aadab ho :) pic.twitter.com/CLtmCSFaz2
— Anupam Kher (@RoflGandhi_) February 2, 2016
Here is my Plan-C to enter Pakistan, Bhai ki help se Karachi jayega tumhara bhai..Bajrangi ki Jai ho :) pic.twitter.com/LZNjGPBdt3
— Anupam Kher (@RoflGandhi_) February 2, 2016
Here is my Plan-D to enter Pakistan, will camouflage as Miss Braganza. Jesus ho :) pic.twitter.com/Ol8LH5GdBW
— Anupam Kher (@RoflGandhi_) February 2, 2016
So much #intolerance ! Nobody is willing to give @AnupamPkher a visa even before he applies for it. Shame! https://t.co/LKYa0ntSPD
— Seema Goswami (@seemagoswami) February 2, 2016
Entire BJP top brass works overtime to promote Pakistan tourism and it denies VISA to Anupam Kher??? Ridiculous.
— Scotchy (@scotchism) February 2, 2016
Entire BJP top brass works overtime to promote Pakistan tourism and it denies VISA to Anupam Kher??? Ridiculous.
— Scotchy (@scotchism) February 2, 2016
Plan E could be a little trickier, planning to visit Pakistan as their Sri Lankan bowling coach :) pic.twitter.com/lAjIgzHtCA
— Anupam Kher (@RoflGandhi_) February 2, 2016
@RoflGandhi_ अंतरिक्ष से भी प्रवेश किया जा सकता है। pic.twitter.com/pHtfUivJAI
— मुंगेरी LOL (@life_hacker23) February 2, 2016
This is what Sickular Anti National @RoflGandhi_ is doing to AnuPM Kher ji ???? Jai Ho...:) pic.twitter.com/JS6UyReZ7F
— ⒶⓃⓉⒾ 卐 HDL✡ (@Anti_HDL) February 2, 2016
Now @AnupamPkher will further embrace victimhood & fan his persecution complex for Modi to march to the RS! https://t.co/5azd8FONLj
— swati chaturvedi (@bainjal) February 2, 2016
Why Anupam Kher did not get Pakistan visa:1) He is not part of the Indian State2) He is an actor.So Islamabad calls him non-state actor!
— Madhavan Narayanan (@madversity) February 2, 2016
Last weekend, Anupam Kher had a Twitter spat with Congress MP Shashi Tharoor when the former said in an interview: "I'm scared to say I'm a Hindu".
.@AnupamPkher: Shashi Tharoor is Congi ChamchaCongress: This is abusive langAAPTards: Anupam MUST use respectful words Psychopath & Coward
— उमर अब्दुल्लाह (@abdullah_0mar) January 31, 2016
Shashi Tharoor is ok with Salman Khurshid calling Sonia Gandhi "Congi's ki Maa"But hate being called #CongiChamcha" by Anupam Kher.
— Raman (@being_delhite) January 30, 2016