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Vishal Dadlani quits politics after sarcastic tweet about Jain guru backfires

August 28, 2016 08:12 IST

Aam Aadmi Party supporter Vishal Dadlani on Saturday raked up a controversy after he mocked Digambar Jain monk Tarun Sagar for giving a speech in Haryana assembly following which the music director and singer announced on Twitter that he was quitting from all active political work and affiliations.

Dadlani had tweeted the following: "If you voted for these people, YOU are responsible for this absurd nonsense! No #AchcheDin, just #NoKachcheDin."

However, soon after the singer made this tweet, he was ridiculed by several Jain sect followers. Dadlani was quick to reply to everyone with an apology: "I apologise to you too, wholeheartedly, Sir. I hope that religion and governance can be separated, for Indias sake. I am sorry to have offended you and your beliefs too, Sir. My intent was not to hurt anyone. Spoke without thinking."

Delhi CM and AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal too took to Twitter to praise the Jain monk and said that his family deeply respects Tarun Sagar.

The Jains are an influential community in the poll-bound Gujarat where the AAP is seeking to make a powerful debut. Kejriwal and Jain's tweets promptly condemning Vishal's off-the-cuff tweet may have been influenced by that consideration.

'It feel bad that I hurt my Jain friends & my friends @ArvindKejriwal & @SatyendarJain .I hereby quit all active political work/affiliation,' Dadlani tweeted soon after.

A Twitter user had claimed that he had filed an online complaint with the Delhi Police against Vishal Dadlani and Congress leader Tehseen Poonawalla.

IMAGE: A screengrab of the now deleted tweet that was posted by singer-musician Vishal Dadlani after Jain monk Tarun Sagar addressed the Haryana assembly naked. Photograph: Vishal Dadlani/Twitter

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