India should welcome Pakistani artists and businessmen, says Shashi Tharoor

Criticising Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for the way he handled the ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ controversy, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said that he is in favour of inviting Pakistani artists, creative people and businessmen to boost bilateral ties.

"We should welcome creative people, artistes and genuine businessmen (from Pakistan) to India," Tharoor said during a debate in the Tata Literature Live Festival on Thursday night.

"We have to create a 'home away from home' situation for them," he added. 

He further said that hostility between India and Pakistan "can be a mood but not a policy".

In a scathing comment about the way Fadnavis handled the controversy surrounding Karan Johar-directed 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' when MNS opposed the film because it had Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, Tharoor said, "Certainly no Congress Chief Minister would have ever negotiated (with outfits like MNS)."

The Raj Thackeray-led party later relented on the condition that the producers would give a donation to Army welfare fund. Fadnavis later denied that he brokered the 'deal' between MNS and the ADHM producers.

Taking part in a debate on 'India and Pakistan can never be friends', Tharoor contended that people-to-people cooperation would improve bilateral ties.

"Create an umbrella where artists, the fashion designers and genuine businesspersons would interact more frequently, form associations which would create a constituency of goodwill," Tharoor said.

(With PTI inputs)