Mumbai: Why did actors Vivek Oberoi and R Madhavan choose to settle in Dubai if they believed that India progressed significantly under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has asked.
While addressing an event organised by the Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena, the student wing of the MNS, in Mumbai, Thackeray alleged that several industrialists had left India in recent years and cited the two actors as examples, as reported by News18.
“Vivek Oberoi, who made a film on Modi and played Modi’s role in it, has also gone to live in Dubai,” he said, referring to the 2019 biopic based on the Prime Minister.
Taking aim at Madhavan for publicly praising PM Modi in the past, the MNS chief said: “R Madhavan who praised PM Modi – where does he live? He lives in Dubai. So if you love India so much, if you love PM Modi, if they believe that PM Modi is developing India, then why are they living in a foreign land? Why are they living in Dubai with their families?”
Actors work in “government-sponsored” films before returning to live abroad, Thackeray alleged.
“They will come here, work in a government-sponsored film like ‘Dhurandhar’ and then go back to Dubai,” he said.
He had moved to Dubai during the Covid-19 pandemic to support his son’s professional swimming career, Madhavan has previously said. Oberoi has said he relocated to Dubai to expand his business interests.
Thackeray also commented on the abusive language used against Prime Minister Modi during his speech, calling them inappropriate.
While referring to the PM’s recent appeal to forgive “misguided children” and guide them on the right path, he said that he agreed with the sentiment, while adding that BJP workers should also be held to the same standard.
“I agree with it. No one should use a language of such a low level. But he should tell people of his own party,” Thackeray said.
The BJP’s online supporters routinely target public figures, including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and members of the Thackeray family, he alleged claiming that many actors avoid expressing their views publicly due to online trolling.
“Even they should be asked to stop. BJP troll teams started this. As you sow, so shall you reap,” he said, adding that abuse directed at anyone was unacceptable.
Thackeray also said that while the alleged NEET paper leak acted as the immediate trigger for the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests, the scale of the movement reflected years of accumulated public grievances.