Never felt discrimination as a Muslim, says Naseeruddin
New Delhi, Sept 03: Acclaimed actor Naseeruddin Shah said he did not agree with Shabana Azmi`s view that Muslims were discriminated against in India and added that he had never faced any such problem."I have never felt any discrimination. I have never been refused housing in Bombay. I have lived there in all kinds of conditions from a paying guest, sharing with six people to having two apartments of my own. I have never had these problems. I don`t deny that these problems exist, but I don`t think that Muslims are exclusively the victims," Shah said.

"The less we nurse this persecution thing, the better it will be," Shah told a news channel.

He added: "I think that when the occasion arises, anyone is discriminated against. I can cite instances when Hindus have been discriminated against; forget about Christians, Sikhs, Parsis and so on."

Shabana last week told another news channel that Muslims were often treated as second-class citizens. She said: "I cannot get a house in Mumbai. I wanted to buy a flat in Mumbai and it wasn`t given to me because I was a Muslim, and I read the same about Saif (Ali Khan)."

"Now, I mean, if Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi cannot get a flat in Mumbai because they are Muslims, then what are we talking about?" said Azmi.

IANS