'Even Turks find Taimur brute': BJP's Meenakshi Lekhi's retort on Saif Ali Khan's 'concept of India' remark

Saif Ali Khan (Image: Reuters)

Saif Ali Khan has been at the receiving end of a lot of criticism for his recent "concept of India" comment in an interview. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi has joined the chorus, taking a dig at the actor for his remarks.

She brought up Khan's three-year-old son Taimur's name to take a dig at him.

Lekhi, in a tweet, said "Even Turks find Taimur a brute! But some people choose to name their children Taimur."

Even Turks find Taimur a brute ! But some people choose to name their children Taimur . https://t.co/T9xX5qihAw

— Meenakashi Lekhi (@M_Lekhi) January 19, 2020

The BJP spokesperson is one among the many who were enraged by Saif Ali Khan's statement in the interview with critic Anupama Chopra.

When asked whether the "questionable politics" of his latest release Tanhaji were of concern to him as an actor, he said it concerns him more as an Indian. Khan said he is quite aware of what the history was, and he does not "think there was a concept of India till perhaps before the British gave it one".

He added that although he did not agree with certain parts, he did not take a stand and may be he would next time.

However, this isnt the first time Khan's son's name has been the subject of controversies. When Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor named their son Taimur, they were subjected to a lot of trolling. Many people took to schooling the actors about the history behind the name Timur, asking them whether they had named their son after the 13th century Central Asian invader. However, Khan dismissed those claims at the time, clarifying that the name 'Taimur' was an ancient Persian one that meant iron.