Hindi film actor Sanjay Dutt has issued a clarification after his remarks that ‘he doesn’t feel peace in India anymore’, made at actor Shekhar Suman’s talk show, sparked a controversy. The clarification by the actor comes two days after his episode was aired on Shekhar Tonite Youtube channel, which drew widespread backlash from social media users.

Taking to X late on October 4, 2026, the actor wrote, “I would like to clarify that it was never my intention to hurt, offend, or disrespect the sentiments of any individual, community, or institution”. He stated that his remarks were made as part of a scripted conversation intended to be light-hearted and humorous.

The post read, “My remarks were made in the context of a scripted conversation intended to be light-hearted and humorous. The spirit behind them was similar to the humour and satire seen in films like Munna Bhai, particularly the concept of ‘Gandhigiri,’ which was intended to convey a message of love, warmth, togetherness, and goodwill. Unfortunately, my words were interpreted outside of that intended context”.

What Sanjay Dutt said

The row kicked off when Mr. Dutt, during the Shekhar Tonite show, said he doesn’t feel peace in the nation anymore. During the show, the actor praised Indian hospitality, stating that his wish was to have peace in the country.

He stated that, “The people of this country are so lovely. There should be peace here. I can’t feel that peace in our country anymore. We Indians are large-hearted people, and we are hospitable. We have given so much, and we should always remain that way. I pray to Shivji that those days come back soon.”

MDutt also breathed life to his iconic Munna Bhai character, from the Hindi movie Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. and its sequel, in a brief skit that lasted around five minutes, during which he enacted as India’s Prime Minister and addressed the nation in his signature Munna Bhai avatar.

In his speech as a fictional PM of India, the actor referred to the famous three monkeys associated with Gandhiji.

“Apun Gandhi ji ko bahut maanta hai. Aur Gandhi ji ke teen bandar sabko pata hai, bura mat dekho, bura mat suno, bura mat kaho. Lekin aaj ek chautha bandar bhi mangta hai. Bura dekhega to use theek kaun karega? (I really believe in Gandhi ji. Everyone knows his three monkeys — don’t see evil, don’t hear evil, don’t speak evil. But today I want a fourth monkey too. If someone sees something wrong, who will correct it?),” said Dutt.

The actor’s remarks led to mixed opinions on social media, snowballing into a heated controversy. The show’s host Shekhar Suman has not made any remarks on the issue so far.

Asserting that frontal organisations were the backbone of the Congress party, Haryana Congress in-charge Sanjay Dutt on Friday (July 10, 2026) laid out clear directives aimed at revitalising and strengthening all frontal organisations of the party in the State.

Mr. Dutt held a meeting with the State presidents of all frontal organisations, departments and cells of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee here, following which he issued directions to strengthen the organisation at the grassroots level. HPCC president Rao Narender Singh also participated in the meeting.

He urged the organisation to focus on issues concerning women’s rights, women’s empowerment, increasing atrocities against women, inflation, unemployment and women’s safety. “Increasing women’s participation in politics and society and fighting for their rights should remain the Mahila Congress’s highest priority,” he said.

He said ‘Seva Dal’ is the backbone of the Congress organisation, which plays a vital role in every party programme, urging the workers to make the organisation active in every village. Noting that the Indian National Trade Union Congress, affiliated with the Congress, has been working towards protecting the rights of workers and fighting against their exploitation, he directed the organisation to launch a widespread awareness campaign to strengthen the party among the labour community.

He also stressed the need to fight strongly for the rights of the Other Backward Classes, social justice, and constitutional representation, besides launching an extensive outreach campaign among Panchayat representatives and rural communities to promote the Congress Party’s policies.

“All frontal organisations and departments are the strength of the Congress Party. If every organisation works actively in its respective field, the party’s mass base and organisational structure will become even stronger. All office-bearers should remain continuously engaged with the people and raise public issues prominently,” he added.

The Congress on Friday (June 26, 2026) appointed party leaders Rajendra Pal Gautam and Sanjay Dutt as AICC in-charge for Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

Mr. Gautam replaces Avinash Pande in Uttar Pradesh, while Mr. Dutt replaces senior party leader Hariprasad in Haryana.

Mr. Hariprasad has since been made the new Karnataka Congress chief.

The party also appointed Lalji Desai as the new AICC in-charge for Odisha, replacing Ajay Kumar Lallu, it said in a statement.

“The party appreciates the contributions of the outgoing general secretary/in-charges – Avinash Pande, B K Hariprasad and Ajay Kumar Lallu,” AICC general secretary, Organisation, K.C. Venugopal said in the statement.

In another statement, the Congress announced the appointment of B.V. Srinivas as the new chief organiser of the Congress Seva Dal, replacing Lalji Desai, with immediate effect.

Sanjay Dutt’s political-drama, Aakhri Sawal, has been postponed by a week and will be released now on May 15, the makers announced recently by unveiling the film’s trailer. Directed by Abhijeet Mohan Warang, the film also stars Amit Sadh, Neetu Chandra, Tridha Choudhary, and Sameera Reddy in pivotal roles.

As per the makers, “Aakhri Sawal follows Vicky, a brilliant yet volatile scholar, who publicly challenges his mentor — the legendary Professor Gopal Nadkarni — accusing him of institutional bias. As media outrage, political agendas, and public opinion collide, the confrontation transforms into a dangerous psychological chess match.”

The film addresses some questions from history right from the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi to the Emergency. “But beneath the arguments lies a far deeper mystery. Why is Vicky really asking these questions? As buried secrets begin to surface, one final question threatens to change everything. The Question India Never Stopped Asking,” read the synopsis shared by the makers.

Aakhri Sawal has been written by Utkarsh Naithani, shot by Stanley Mudda and edited by Sanjay Sankla. It is produced by Nikhil Nanda & Sanjay Dutt with Puneet Nanda, Dr. Deepak Singh, Gaurav Dubey and Ujjwal Anand serving as co-producers.