Criticizing Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar for attacking Bollywood actor Aamir Khan, the CPI-M said the minister symbolized "much of what is wrong with the Modi government".Despite holding a key cabinet post, Parrikar was "spewing intolerance and bigotry, making bellicose statements against Pakistan and compromising the image of the armed forces", an editorial in the CPI-M journal "People's Democracy" said. The Communist Party of India-Marxist said Parrikar had made one egregious remark after another. "The latest controversial statement being his attack on actor Aamir Khan stating that he was arrogant and needs to be taught a lesson.
"This response was to Aamir Khan's remark made some time back that given the climate of intolerance, his wife was asking whether it was worth living in the country. "Parrikar also lauded those who launched a campaign against a private online trading company forcing that company to cancel its sponsorship of the actor. "By this, Parrikar not only endorsed coercive action against those who are so-called 'anti-national' but also encouraged bigots to teach a lesson to those who do not subscribe to his Hindutva brand of patriotism," it said. The editorial pointed out that in June last year, Parrikar claimed that the lack of respect for the Indian Army is because it has not fought a war for 40-50 years. "This jingoistic stance goes against the grain that the army is there to maintain peace and protect the country's borders," it said.