Panaji: Union minister Smriti Irani said today that the BJP government at the Centre is tolerant and it understands that a joke should be taken as a joke.
The information and broadcasting minister was speaking at
the inauguration of the International Film Festival of India
(IFFI) here.
Her remarks came in response to a banter actor Rajkumar
Rao threw at her at the event.
Rao, who was co-hosting the event with actor Radhika
Apte, said it was a co-incidence that film director Majid
Majidi was an "Irani", just like the Union minister was.
Hearing the remarks, the Union minister smiled.
Later, in her address at the event, Smriti Irani said:
"Rajkumar Rao, this (incident) should be known to the rest of
the country, that you poked fun only at a minister. And it
showed as a government how tolerant we are."
Majidi's film 'Beyond the Clouds' inaugurated the film
festival. Starring Ishaan Khatter and Malavika Mohanan in lead
roles, the film is based on life in Mumbai.
