Muslim groups protest against Shiv Sena for targeting Shah Rukh Khan - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

A number of activists from various Muslim organisations took to streets in the capital on Monday to protest against Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray for targeting Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan for wishing Pakistani players should have been picked for the upcoming edition of the IPL tournament. The activists from various Muslim organisations burnt posters bearing the image of Bal Thackeray, founder and chief of the Shiv Sena party. "Our message is that Shah Rukh (Khan) and Aamir (Khan) are the pride of our nation. Bal Thackeray, the chief of Shiv Sena, has no right to give this certificate of 'traitor' to anyone. First he should sort Maharashtra, his own state, out. Sometimes he raises issues about Maharashtra and north India and now Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. I want to ask Bal Thackeray whether he plans to take up all of India's causes," said one protestor. The rally in New Delhi comes after Shiv Sena protestors demonstrated outside 'Mannat', the actor's Mumbai bungalow on Sunday (January 31) and burnt posters of his upcoming film 'My Name is Khan' on Friday (January 29). At the IPL auctions held in Mumbai on January 19, none of the eight franchise teams bid for the 11 Pakistani players. Pakistan cricket team, the current world T20 champion, played in the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008. But they were denied permission by Islamabad last year due to tensions between India and Pakistan following the Mumbai attacks on November 26 2008. Team owners said they did not bid for Pakistani players this year because they were apprehensive about the availability of the players. Khan also added that the Kolkata Knight Riders did not bid for a Pakistani player as they had reached their cap on foreign players, after choosing Kiwi fast bowler Shane Bond. The IPL is India's Twenty20 domestic competition played in the month of April and May at various venues throughout India.