Actress Sonia Bansal, known for her appearance on ‘Bigg Boss 17’, has come out in support of Sara Ali Khan, who has been embroiled in controversy over visiting the Kedarnath temple. Sonia said that a person’s religious faith is a private matter and everyone should be free to visit any religious place of their choice, offer prayers and seek blessings.She said that instead of judging people on the basis of religion, society should give importance to love, humanity and mutual respect.Speaking to IANS, Sonia said, “Sara Ali Khan is a very good actress and always follows her heart. She has visited Kedarnath several times. We should also remember that she was part of the film ‘Kedarnath’, which portrayed a story of faith, love and humanity against the backdrop of the temple. I do not understand why something as personal as seeking blessings is being turned into a controversy. After all, she is also a human being who, like everyone else, wants to pray and find peace of mind.”Raising questions about the growing tendency to link everything with religion, she said, “Sometimes, it is upsetting to see how quickly we connect everything to religion. Where are we heading as a society? What are we teaching our children? Are we teaching them to love, accept and respect people, or are we teaching them to look at the differences between people first? The world is moving forward, but we are still caught up in debates over Hindu and Muslim identities. I believe we need to move beyond this mindset.”Sonia said, “Religious places such as temples, mosques and churches are meant to be spaces where people can experience peace, devotion and a sense of belonging. If someone wants to bow their head in a temple, offer prayers in a mosque or find solace in a church, why should anyone have a problem with that? Every religious place deserves respect, and everyone should have the freedom to pray according to their faith. Before any identity, we are all human beings.”The actress further said, “If we cannot respect each other’s faith, what kind of society are we building for the next generation? It is painful to see someone’s intentions being questioned in the name of religion. Faith is deeply personal. When someone stands before God and seeks blessings, no one else can know what is in their heart. Sara is an actress who has entertained audiences through her work and earned a place in people’s hearts. She should be appreciated for her talent and personality, rather than being dragged into a controversy over visiting a religious place. I hope we learn to spread less hatred and more love.”It may be recalled that Sara Ali Khan visited the Kedarnath temple on October 25. Photographs of her standing in the queue for darshan emerged during the visit. She was later also seen praying with folded hands outside the temple. The controversy began following her visit. According to reports, an Islamic cleric has also issued a fatwa against her over visiting the temple.
