Saifai controversy

Saifai Festival is a regular event since some years. It is about two weeks. It begins at the end of December and extends into January. There is entertainment and film stars perform.
This time some questioned the holding of festival since Muzaffarnagar riot victims were suffering. Many were living in tents. Children had died due to cold. Some journalists questioned the propriety of film stars performing at the festival. Some compared Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav to Nero who was said to be fiddling when Rome was burning the historicity of which is questioned or denied by many. Film stars were questioned by journalists and they said they did not know about Muzaffarnagar. Salman Khan said he had donated 25 lakh rupees for patients.
Shivpal Yadav appeared on CNN-IBN. He accused Rajdeep Sardesai of conspiracy and left. Mahesh Bhatt and Sharmila Tagore appeared on NDTV 24X7 and criticised film stars performing at Saifai Festival. Nidhi Razdan was wrong to say they were not Congress members. Mahesh Bhatt is a member of Congress. Sharmila Tagore is associated with Congress. Her husband was a MP candidate from Bhopal. Congress had appointed her CBFC chairperson. About Alia Bhatt performing at the festival, Mahesh Bhatt replied he failed as a father. He came to know one hour before Alia Bhatt was to depart and could not stop her as the invitation had come from chief minister.
It was wrong to target film stars for performing at the festival. They are generally not aware of many events. Even if they knew and went it was their choice.
On 10/1/2014 Akhilesh Yadav hit back at his detractors. He said “Why were film stars asked about Muzaffarnagar? I am the CM. I should have been asked.” He then talked about a TV journalist who had a ride with him a whole day in a helicopter and had promised half an hour programme at a particular time. When the programme did not appear Akhilesh Yadav asked the journalist who replied their marketing department did not allow it. He said the amount spent on the festival is less than ten crore and it was wrong for Dainik Jagaran to say 300 crore rupees were spent. The newspaper should apologise and punish the reporter. Dedh Ishkiya is about Lucknow and its culture. Tax exemption is given to promote film shooting in UP as it will promote tourism and give employment. He gave the example of Switzerland which had honoured Yash Chopra. People who oppose tax exemption to Dedh Ishkiya are opposed to Urdu, Lucknow and its culture. People came from Delhi to see Saifai Festival. Journalists wanted passes. When one pass was given 10 people came. Some sat on ground. He justified MLAs going on a tour to foreign countries saying it was cleared by central government. The tour known as Commonwealth Tour had visits to two Commonwealth countries; UAE and UK, and four non-Commonwealth countries; Turkey, Greece, Italy, and Belgium. Akhilesh Yadav told the journalist who questioned about Commonwealth Tour he was an ignorant journalist and journalist of a big channel. He said one journalist who was a member of SP and of Rajya Sabha and could not be elected to Rajya Sabha again due to constraints had written against the festival. It meant Shahid Siddiqui.
Shah Rukh Khan defended film stars. He said Bollywood is targeted because it can be done.