Veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha has responded to protests against his daughter Sonakshi Sinha marriage to longtime boyfriend Zaheer Iqbal.
The couple tied the knot in an intimate ceremony on June 23 in Mumbai, followed by a grand celebration with friends and colleagues from the film industry.
While social media has been filled with congratulatory messages, some Hindu activists have labeled their union as love jihad.
Shortly after the wedding, the Hindu Shivbhavani Sena put up posters across Patna, threatening the Sinha family and stating that they would not allow Sonakshi to enter Bihar. They accused the newlyweds of attempting to ‘Islamify’ the country.
“Sonakshi and Zaheer’s wedding promotes love jihad. The wedding is a religious conspiracy under the garb of love. It aims to cause damage to the Hindu culture,” read the posters, which added, “Hindu Shivbhavani Sena won’t let Sonakshi Sinha enter Bihar.”
In response to the protests, Shatrughan Sinha told Times Now, “Anand Bakshi (late lyricist) saab has written about such professional protestors, ‘Kuch to log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna.’ To this, I would like to add, ‘Kehne waale agar bekar, be-kaamkaaj ke ho to kehna hi kaam ban jata hai.’ My daughter has done nothing illegal or unconstitutional.”
The actor-politician further commented, “To all the protestors, I’ll say – ‘Go, get a life. Do something useful with your life.’ Mujhe aur kuch nahi kehna hai.”
Earlier, Shatrughan Sinha had dispelled rumors of a rift within the family over Sonakshi’s marriage. Before the wedding, he stated, “Every father waits for this moment when his daughter is given to her chosen groom. My daughter looks happiest with Zaheer. Unki jodi salamat rahe.”
Regarding the protests, Hindu activists in Bihar also demanded that Shatrughan Sinha change the name of his Mumbai residence, Ramayana, and the names of his sons, Luv and Kush.
“Shatrughan Sinha must rethink his decision about the wedding. Or else, he must change the name of his sons Luv and Kush, and his house Ramayana. Isse ho raha hai Hindu dharm ka apmaan,” the posters further read.
Sonakshi and Zaheer have been in a relationship for seven years. They appeared together in the 2022 film Double XL and a music video titled Blockbuster. Though they never publicly confirmed their relationship, they were frequently seen attending events and social gatherings together.
