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Returning Nishaan-e-Pakistan is Dilip saab 's 'personal decision': Bachchan

Mega star Amitabh Bachchan today parried questions on whether thespian Dilip Kumar should return the Nishaan-e-Pakistan award conferred on him last year, as demanded by the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party.

Bachchan, who was in New Delhi to announce Sahara India Parivar's scheme to adopt families of all Kargil martyrs, said, ''This is a personal decision which Dilip saab has to take... How can I talk about it?''

He also remained non-committal about a cultural ban sought to be imposed on Pakistan even while stating that intrusion into Indian territory would not be tolerated and the ''enemy would be thrown out of our compound.''

''Cultural ban on Pakistan is a political question and this decision has to be taken in the political circles. I can not comment on it,'' he said.

Regarding the Rs 500 million relief package being offered by Sahara India Parivar, he said the families of all the martyrs would be adopted by Sahara and the relief would be disbursed after finalising the modalities with the armed forces.

Speaking on the occasion, former India cricket team captain Kapil Dev also stated that intrusion by Pakistan into Indian territory would be repulsed.

''I feel personally as an Indian. We Indians are very emotional and people tend to take advantage of this fact. But we will not take it lying down...We will fight the intrusion,'' he added.

The financial package being provided by Sahara includes subsistence allowance to the dependent widow of the martyr or dependent parents, brothers and sisters, educational help to the son or daughter apart from book allowance, special help on birthdays and festivals.

Besides, Sahara India Parivar would also provide employment to one member of a martyr's family, houses to the homeless families under the Sahara States Project on easy loan terms, contingency help in case they face any legal or social problem and loan on easy instalments for the purpose of domestic consumer items.

UNI

The Kargil Crisis

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