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Raids by the Income Tax department on film personalities like Anurag Kashyap and Tapsee Pannu were part of the Centre's political vendetta against people who dared to speak out, the Shiv Sena said on Friday.
In an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana', the erstwhile ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party questioned if financial transactions of film personalities who openly support the government at the Centre were clean and transparent.
Some people have spine and show that they are exactly like the characters they portray on screen, the editorial stated, possibly a reference to Pannu who has played feisty, combative roles in films like 'Pink', Thappad' and 'Badla'.
It further said people may not agree with the views of Kashyap, an outspoken filmmaker, but that he had every right to air them.
The editorial on Friday also touched upon the recent controversy over legendary personalities tweeting in favour of the Centre after some foreign celebrities commented in support of the farm protests.
"Some great celebrities took a strange stand recently regarding the farmers' agitation. They did not support the farmers but said those outside the country who are supporting the agitation were interfering in the country's internal affairs.
"Very few people like Tapsee and Anurag Kashyap stood in support of the agitation and they have to pay a price," the Saamana editorial said.
It further alleged the IT raids on Pannu and Kashyap were about a financial transaction that took place in 2011 and asked "why did the IT choose them for raids" and if other transactions in Bollywood were "clean liken Gangajal".
The Sena mouthpiece asserted that the Centre resorting to "political vendetta" at a time when the film industry was going through a financial crisis due to the coronavirus outbreak and lockdown was not correct.