As the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections concluded on 29 April, 2019, many Bollywood celebrities could be seen casting their votes and encouraging fans.

There were however some stars who were surrounded by controversy over not voting due to citizenship issues. Among them was superstar Akshay Kumar.

The Khiladi actor has now clarified his stand on voting and citizenship.

At the screening of Karan Kapadia’s debut film Blank, Akshay Kumar was there to support the actor who happens to be his wife Twinkle Khanna’s cousin. At the event, when Akshay was asked to respond to a reporter’s question about not casting his vote, he ignored the question and apparently grabbed the reporter and dismissed him by saying, “Chaliye, chaliye.”

The exchange was caught on camera and the video had gone viral.

Following the circulation of the video, many criticised the actor for playing such an ardent patriot in his films on the one hand, and not exercising his constitutional right in the elections on the other.

Akshay, who also recently interviewed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, took to social media on Friday to clarify his stand. He shared a screenshot of his statement that read: “I really don’t understand the unwaaranted interest and negativity about my citizenship. I have never hidden or denied that I hold a Canadian passport. It is equally true that I have not visited Canada in the last seven years. I work in India, and pay all my taxes in India.”

He added: “While all these years, I have never needed to prove my love fro India to anyone, I fond it disappointing that my citizenship issue is constantly dragged into needless controversy, a matter that is personal, legal, non-political, and of no consequence to others.Lastly, I would like to continue contributing in my small way to the causes that I believe in and make India stronger and stronger.”

In response to Akshay Kumar’s “chaliye, chaliye” video, a Twitter user had shared a video from the time when the actor could be heard saying, “Toronto is my home.”

pic.twitter.com/i0JEmbFh9c

— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) May 3, 2019

” Tronto is My Home ” says Khiladi International pic.twitter.com/kGvWuvv9SD

— The Librandus Of India (@TheLibrandus) May 1, 2019